CoLu Week 2019
by Edo-Salandria
Summary: A delightful week of the CoLu crack ship hosted by dragonshost. Seven fun filled days of fluff sprinkled with some sass n' a .
1. Introduction

This is my first foray into a ship week. While I love my NaLu, I do enjoy crack ships with some of my favorite characters. One such character being Cobra! This fabulous week of crack shipping is brought to you by Dragon'sHost and Fairy Tail is owned by Hiro Mashima (Not like most of us don't know that already haha)

The week's prompts are as follows:

Day 1: Thread - injured cobra in the wood.

Day 2: Legal - creepy stalker dude

Day 3: Foamy - sexy sexy

Day 4: Sweater - play on sweater song

Day 5: Windy - seaside cottage

Day 6: Grain - grain of salt

Day 7: Resonant - deep, clear, and continuing to sound or ring

Bonus: Download - files, or information.

Thank you for taking the time to read my offerings for this week. Please enjoy and be sure to visit the other fabulous fan fiction writers participating in this week long event.


	2. Day 1: Thread

Day 1: Thread

Lucy sat on a comfortable rock staring into her campfire, slowly poking and prodding the embers with a long stick, lost in her thoughts. Her mind sifted through so many memories that they slowly started melting together into abstract pictures that flitted through her mind. Contemplating past decisions, what-ifs, and what should-have-beens in her short life as a mage of Fairy Tail. All of which left her wondering how she ended up where she was; sitting in the middle of the forest, no guild, and no clear direction to go.

She stood up as if on autopilot and made her way into her tent and gathered up everything she needed to freshen up in the river. She followed along the well memorized path through the forest toward the small river where she bathed in the cool numbing waters. She paid no mind to her surroundings which part of her knew was unwise, but she just couldn't muster the will to care.

Setting her belongings on a rock by the river she began to unzip her boots when she glanced into the running water. What she found immediately brought her out of her internal wandering, there were streaks of pink swirling in the current.

Immediately, she placed her hand on her whip and keys and began to cautiously trek upstream to find the source of the tainted water. As she walked farther away from her bathing spot, the trail of pink was getting darker and more wide spread. Her eyes followed up the river where she spotted a slumped figure on the opposite side of the bank ahead of her.

After a quick assessment of her surroundings for any danger, she ran along the bank to the injured person. As she ran, she couldn't help but notice the large hill just behind figure and surmised that they fell somehow. As she got closer she realized the bloodied white coat seemed familiar to her. She was thankful to see that even though they were face down and mostly in the water, their head was resting on bank. Standing on her side of the river she gasped when she realized she knew who was barely breathing in front of her.

Lucy's brain came to life calling out Virgo as she waded into the river, the short gap between the banks. Her spirit popped up next to the slumped body and before the maiden could say anything, Lucy immediately began to issue orders, "Virgo, can you please get me the med supplies and let Leo and Taurus know that I will be needing a stretcher and their help to carry him back to camp." Virgo gave her a silent nod in conformation and quickly disappeared.

Lucy knelt by the man's head calling out to him as she brushed the bloodied maroon locks out of his face, "Cobra, Cobra can you hear me?" she saw his finger twitch a little at hearing her so she proceeded to talk to him.

"Cobra it's Lucy Heartfilia, I don't know if you remember me…" before she continued on she heard him grunt briefly.

"Then I will take that as a yes, I am going to help you OK?" as she began to look over his immediate injuries and she was dismayed to see that his upper body was leaning at a very unnatural angle, which was a sign of either a dislocation or break. She saw what was very obviously a break in his leg just below the knee and the amount of cuts, gashes and bruises on what she could see of his body indicated more than just a tumble down the hill. He was a dragon slayer after all and for him to be in this state, something very bad must have happened to him.

Virgo burst through her gate with a bag of medical supplies from the celestial world. Lucy asked Virgo to look for the healing potions as Lucy began to gently touch the poison slayer, "Cobra, I need to turn you on your back, OK." She paused to see if he would respond and when she received a small grunt, she proceeded.

Once Cobra was on his back she realized his shoulder was dislocated and immediately positioned herself to fix it as Virgo handed her the vial of healing potion. "Cobra, I have a healing potion for you to drink, I am going to lift your head a little so you can drink it, do you think you can do that?"

Hearing the affirmative grunt from the dazed and injured slayer Lucy lifted his head gently and brought vial to his lips. Wedging the vial so that he could separate his lips she drained the contents into his mouth. Lucy laid his head back down gently swiping the excess liquid that dribbled out of the corner of his mouth with her thumb.

"Now, here comes the bad news. Your shoulder is dislocated and I am going to set it, OK?" After hearing his grunt she positioned herself moving his arm away from his body and placing herself just right for the leverage needed, "OK Cobra, on the count of three. One… Two…" and before she said three she pulled the arm slowly until she felt the shift of the shoulder popping back into place. Cobra made a guttural sound of relief, promptly passing out.

Now in a more panicked state Lucy, noticed the gashes on his torso that were bleeding excessively. Virgo rummaged through the med kit and pulled out some bandages and pressed them to the wounds while Lucy called out Leo and Taurus. The two spirits placed the stretcher down next to the injured slayer. Leo knelt on one side of the slayer and Taurus knelt on the opposite side of the stretcher, with Lucy at the slayer's head and Virgo at his feet at the count of three they lifted Cobra gently onto the stretcher.

Leo looked at his master and asked the question on everyone's mind, "What is he doing here and how did he get like this. Maybe we should just leave him."

Lucy glared at him, "I would never do such a thing and you should know better than to even suggest it." The venom in her voice was palpable.

After a brief apology, they began their trip back to camp. Virgo asked for her punishment and was dismissed. Lucy followed her two remaining spirits with the med kit.

When they arrived back at camp Taurus was dismissed with Lucy's appreciation and Virgo came out of her own gate while Lucy summoned Aries to help them with the near lifeless form of the poison dragon slayer.

When Lucy had cut away blood soaked shirt and bandages she was shocked to find a few more gaping wounds that would need to be stitched. She also nearly lost what little contents were in her stomach when Leo cut away the pants to reveal a horribly broken shin bone protruding from his skin. While Virgo and Leo got to work cleaning and setting the broken limb, Aries helped Lucy as she took her time gently cleaning the wounds and assessed which ones needed her immediate attention. There were three in total on his abdomen that needed stitches and Lucy made quick and neat work with her supplies from the celestial realm. The gold glittering stitches were a stark contrast to the bruises that began to form on his chest and abdomen and the angry red cuts that littered his skin.

After what felt like forever the Poison Slayer was mended to the best of their collective ability and with another dose of healing potion they washed his hair of the blood inspecting it for any gashes that may have been missed. After Cobra was settled into her bed Lucy dismissed her spirits with her thanks.

As Lucy gazed at the Slayer in her bed, she realized that the man was barely holding on by a thread. She began to worry that he may not last the night between the blood loss and multitude of injuries. She grabbed the warm bowl and cloth Aries had left and began to clean what did not get finished. She wiped away the dirt and debris from his face and arms. She managed to get down to his hands, gently wiping each of his long calloused fingers with the warm water before she herself passed out.

Lucy awoke about 2 hours later slumped on the floor with a stiff neck. She immediately checked the Slayer and noticed that he was shivering violently. Calling out her timid spirit Aries she requested a blanket to cover him, one that would allow him to get the chill off his body but not add to the heat of his fever. As she covered him with the pink blanket she gently felt his head and realized he was running a very high fever than she initially thought. .

Lucy exited her tent with the bowl of dirty water that she had used to clean Cobra up and went over to her makeshift kitchen area. She refreshed the water in the bowl and grabbed a clean cloth. Concern laced her thoughts as she re-entered her tent. She may not have known the man laying in her bed very well but seeing him so broken and close to death pulled at something deep in her soul. She wasn't even sure what it was, but it made her want even more for the man to pull through despite her tragic past experiences with him.

She placed the cool cloth on his head to help reduce the fever and hoped that the magic potion wouldn't be burned off by his immune system, especially since he is a poison slayer. The more she thought about it, poison was his element and when a dragon slayer consumed or absorbed their element they received a boost in strength. Lucy knew what she needed to do, she called out Grampa Crux and requested a book on poisonous plants in the region but within five minutes she slumped over from exhaustion.

Lucy awoke to a small whimper, feeling stiff from the floor she made a mental note to setup a second bed for herself. She observed Cobra laying there with a sheen of sweat covering his body, the blanket having been moved off his body in the night he was restless and in pain. She took a moment to feel his damp forehead and was pleased to realize that his fever, while not broken, was down at least down. She felt him still under her touch and she slowly slid her hand down his cheek and neck to land on the pulse point in his neck, the feel of the slightly stronger beat gave Lucy hope.

A slight smile graced her lips as a look of peace came over his face briefly. She wondered if it was from her physical touch, but almost as soon as she thought it she chastised herself for such silliness. After all, who was she? Just a small time mage from a guild that no longer existed. She couldn't even keep the ones she loved from leaving her never mind provide comfort to someone who she barely knows. Trying to break her downward spiral she sighed and left her tent in search of local plants that could help Cobra recover.

A shimmer of gold cascaded to the right of her as she walked through the forest. Leo appeared in stride next to her, "Princess, please don't be so hard on yourself. Everything that has happened has been out of your control."

Lucy stopped and faced her trusted spirit, "That's just it though, I have no control, no pull, no sway, no means to keep those who loved or supposedly loved me close. They leave."

Leo grabbed his mage's hand gently, "Lucy, you are not alone, you have your spirits with you at all times watching and caring for you. We love you unconditionally and will always be there for you."

She smiled but it was empty, "Yea, unless my keys are taken from me and then where does that put me. Even your unconditional devotion is conditional beyond either of our control."

Leo couldn't dispute her statement despite the fact that he wanted to. If his master was ever defeated or disarmed she would lose her spirits as well. He squeezed her hand tighter looking her straight in the eyes, "We just won't let that happen. We fight for you, our princess, and we do everything in our power to make sure your safe."

Leo smiled and he could feel Lucy's happiness so he knew his message had reached her, even if it was temporary. "Now, let's find some poison for that dumbass slayer." Loke was not going to hide the fact that he did not like the poison dragon slayer but he could feel a deep pull in Lucy's soul that told him he would probably have to learn to deal with it. After collecting a few well known plants, like Hemlock and Nightshade she gave it to Leo to take back to the celestial realm for Virgo to concoct a salve and some medicine.

Once back at the tent Lucy made sure Cobra was comfortable and she just sat next to him gently holding the hand closest to him, "I don't know what happened to you. I don't know if I am doing any good, but I am trying my best to help get you better." She squeezed his hand gently, hoping he would pull through.

A shower of gold fell behind her, "I have mixed the medicine and salve, please wear these gloves as you apply it, so you don't absorb the poisons as well. Punishment Princess?"

Lucy let out a half of a laugh "No Virgo, thank you. Can you please set-up another bed so I can get some good sleep? No more stiff necks for me please."

"As you wish Princess" Virgo popped back to the celestial realm to gather everything she needed to make up a second bed in the tent. As Virgo was making herself busy with her master's request, Lucy set about cleaning the many wounds on Cobra's body and checked on the stitches and broken leg. Satisfied with how everything was looking she slid the gloves over her small fingers and began applying the poisonous salve to the worst of his wounds, stitches and broken leg.

Once finished she re-wrapped everything and proceeded to uncap the bottle to the potion and poured a tiny bit into the cap. Lifting the slayer's head slightly she lifted the cap to his lips, "Cobra if you can hear me, I am giving you something that hopefully will help." His lips parted slightly and she tipped the liquid into his mouth.

Sighing now that the job done she realized she hadn't eaten since finding Cobra yesterday. Her stomach growled but before she could make any motion to find some food Virgo appeared before her "Princess I took the liberty to make you some lunch. Please eat and rest, the effects from the poison will not be immediate."

Lucy nodded at her spirit and accepted the tray containing a small salad and half a sandwich, "Thank you for everything Virgo." She smiled warmly at her spirit as she disappeared into a poof of gold shimmering celestial residue.

Lucy quietly ate her lunch from her bed across from Cobra, watching him for any signs of distress. She speculated on what may have happened to him, clearly he fell down the hill into the river, which explains his broken leg and dislocated shoulder… possibly. The other injuries look like they were a result of a serious fight.

She also wondered what he was doing in this part of the woods. Lucy had not seen another human being for a while now.

Once she finished eating she brought her dish to her makeshift kitchen and after entering her tent she placed a gentle kiss to the injured slayer's forehead, as if it were the most natural thing to do and went to her bed for a nap.

* * *

A soft song could be heard as if it was far in the distance. It had a sweet sadness threaded into its melody. What made this music unique was the off tune harpsichord trying to blend in with the gentle vibrations of stringed instruments and the sweet soft piano chords. It still sounded so far away but seemed so familiar.

As Cobra slowly became conscious the song became louder and along with it came blooms of pain throughout his body. He was still too disoriented to focus on actual thoughts so he just drifted with the stream of random sensations and audio hallucinations.

He felt a warm weighted sensation in his right hand that part of him was curious about, but he was still too out of focus to coordinate the effort to open his eye. After a few more minutes of trying to sift through the sensations he started to think about what was wrong with him, why did he feel so heavy and exhausted. He tried searching his mind for the last thing he remembered, which was walking along a trail tracking the unusual melody. He had heard it on the edge of the Waas Forest just north of what was Cait Shelter.

That is when his memory stopped. He willed his single violet eye open and blinked a few times. Once he was able to focus he slowly realized he was in a tent, a horrendously pale pink tent. This fact puzzled him even more.

He made a more cognizant inventory of his body and realized his leg was broken with at least one broken rib and he felt a tingling sensation in three areas of his abdomen. He wiggled his fingers on his left hand and all of his toes, pleased to feel like they worked. He didn't try to move his right hand since it was warm and weighted. Next he shifted his head to the left to see his surroundings more easily and was dismayed to see more pale pink in his vision. He groaned and felt how dry his throat was. Turning his head to his right he saw a mop of golden hair and a very iconic embellished hand grasping his.

"Fuck" was uttered in a horse whisper, Cobra made the attempt to sit upright but realized almost instantly that he may have had more broken ribs than originally anticipated. Sighing as he closed his eye he went on his usual mental barrage of thoughts "_For fucks sake how the hell did I end up like this, in the fuckin' Fairy Tail princess' tent. I'll be fuckin' roasted, frozen, and chopped to bits any minute now." _ However when Cobra used his soul listening magic he was shocked to discover it was just her.

He was equally shocked to discover that none other than Lucy Heartfilia was the one he was tracking as he entered the forest. His thoughts raced as his brain started firing up with all kinds of questions and scenarios. He paused a moment to relish in the warmth holding his right hand before he pulled it from the delicate hand. He wiggled his fingers and brought it up to his forehead to card through his hair and ponder what he should do next. Before he could really think about it though Lucy sat up and stretched.

Cracking her neck from side to side she was pleased to see that the slayer was conscious. She kept her voice low and calm, "Cobra, glad to see you're awake" as she smiled and he just peered at her choosing not to speak. "Let me get you some water, your very dehydrated" and with that said she bounded out of the tent.

Cobra shifted to get into a more comfortable propped up position, he tried his damnedest to remember what happened to him as he struggled. He didn't even flinch when he heard her approach the tent, it was only when she opened the flap, bathing him in a startling amount of sunlight did he fling his forearm to cover his eyes exclaiming, "Holy fuck the sun"!

Lucy snorted at his reaction, recalling that he always seemed rather cranky. "Damn straight." was the slayer's response to her internal musings.

Lucy didn't put much stock in the comment, she was too distracted to recall his soul listening magic at that moment. She knelt down next to Cobra and offered him the glass of water. As he took it from her hands, she reminded him, "Remember, small steady sips."

Cobra just uttered a sarcastic "Yes Mom", just as he was taking a sip of the water. After relishing the cool and soothing feeling as he swallowed, he cleared his throat to shake away some of the unpleasant scratchiness.

Anticipating his inevitable question, Lucy began to speak, "I found you three days ago just north of here slumped and practically dead in the river" she paused to see if there was any reaction, not surprised to see any, she continued on. "Your shoulder was dislocated but I set that before we got you to camp. Your right leg has a broken shin bone, Leo and Virgo helped to set it and splinted it to the best of their abilities. I had to stitch you up in a few places and discovered you had some broken ribs. Overall you lost a lot of blood. I went out and gathered some Hemlock and Nightshade and Virgo make a poisonous salve and medicine to help with your healing." she looked at him then expecting some kind of response.

Cobra simply grunted still having not removed his forearm from covering his eyes. He knew she expected some kind of response but he remained silent since he considered himself an emotionally constipated dick-wad. Cobra was thankful and beyond impressed that she actually thought to work with poisons to heal him and it stirred emotions he had tried to kill on more than one occasion.

After a brief sigh, Lucy stood "I'll check on you a little later" and she exited the tent to go bathe in the river.

* * *

Lucy knelt in the river going through the motions of washing her hair. Once the task was compete she continued to kneel there letting the small river's cool waters bite at her skin until she couldn't feel anything.

Her mind drifted to the day she broke Aquarius's key but didn't put enough energy to activate the magic that she inherited from her oldest friend. She missed the snark and bitchiness of the beautiful mermaid. She got constant updates from Aquarius's boyfriend Scorpio and they exchanged occasional letters, but due to the generally cranky nature of her broken spirit, they were relatively short communications.

Back at camp Cobra fell back to sleep to the gentle lull of the broken waltz he heard day in and day out. He noted the deepening out-of-tune sound being plucked at odd intervals. He noted that clearly the blonde who saved his life was having her own emotional constipations.

Cobra awoke a while later to the sensation of soft caress on the forehead. He immediately froze from the contact and emitted a snarl in response.

Lucy quickly removed her hand, "I'm sorry, I was checking to see if you still had a fever."

Cobra opened his eye and looked at her, noting that she simply looked at the ground. Her soul told him she was lying, she was just compelled to soothe and touch him. He knew that she had been alone for months. She was subconsciously starved for human interaction, her spirits weren't enough to satisfy the need. The look on her face coupled with what her soul was telling him compelled him to reassure her, for whatever god-forsaken reason.

"S'ok, just startled me" he said gruffly, "The only time people touch me is to attack." why he told her that beat the shit out of him.

Lucy smiled briefly, "I should have known better". Itching to change the subject, she asked the slayer, "Are you hungry at all?"

"Fuckin' starvin" was all he said.

"OK, I will have Virgo make up some soup for us." She exited the tent and called Virgo out so she wouldn't disturb Cobra's rest. This left Cobra to dwell on a great many things, none of which he really wanted to deal with. He was healing, but not fast enough for his taste, he knew the broken leg would be a few weeks before it was good enough to walk on. As if reading his mind, Lucy came back to the tent with a pair of crutches. "Here, you may want to consider taking a bathroom break before lunch." She smiled sheepishly and left before he could thank her. All his thoughts effectively cut off.

Finally making his way back after a short and unsteady journey he sat down next to the warm fire. Lucy silently handed him a mug of chicken soup and sat on the opposite side of the fire. He eyed her as he drank the soup from his mug debating on asking her what the hell was going on.

Lucy looked at him as the flames of the fire flickered between them, "My name is Lucy by the way."

"No shit, and I am Cobra" he responded coolly.

Lucy just gave a small humorless chuckle, "No shit huh? I just figured it's been so long…"

"That I would forget who you were?" Cobra interrupted, hearing the rest words from her mind.

Lucy stared into her mug of soup, "Well… yea, I mean it's not like our previous encounters were sociable"

Cobra just chuckled. "I'll give you that, I almost always forget the people I try to sacrifice to a weird fuckin' fish clock. Which, for whatever it's worth, I'm sorry for all that shit."

Looking up from her mug she saw the smirk and honesty in his eyes, she was thankful for the humor that accompanied his apology.

"Thank you for that. I forgave you all a while ago." She was thinking about how she found him and before she even asked the question he answered her.

"I don't remember a shittin' thing about what happened"

"How did you know I was going to ask that?" still not remembering Cobra's skill.

"Your soul." Cobra stopped sounding as if he would continue, but for whatever reason he kept his snarky and insulting comments to himself, much to his surprise.

Lucy just shook her head and stared into the fire, "Dammit, how could I forget."

After what felt like hours of silence, but was really only about five minutes, Cobra huffed loudly, "OK, this is getting shit ass awkward." Lucy raised her head and just stared at him. "What the fuck happened to you?"

He got everything he needed answered from her soul, so Lucy's simple response of, "Life" was barely heard under his growl. They may not have known each other well but after his encounters with the fairies and hearing them always spouting off their shtick about nakama and love and sticking together he couldn't help but feel angry for the Celestial Mage before him. She was the embodiment of what they stood for and they tossed her away, especially after what she had given up for them.

Lucy was shocked from the slayers animalistic response, she figured he heard the real answer. She looked at him with the vacancy she felt in her soul.

"Show me" he asked her, softer than she ever thought he was capable of.

Gently she pulled the necklace hidden under her shirt to reveal the broken and corroded key. He held out his hand toward her, "give it to me".

She hesitated, unsure of why, "Just give it to me a minute, I will give it right back to you." He paused, searching her eyes for a second before finishing, "I give you my word."

The words spoke directly to her soul, and in that moment she removed the necklace as she stood and handed it to him as she sat down on his side of the fire.

With a reverence she did not expect, he gently closed his hand around the broken object and brought it up to his lips, letting out a heavy breath around the object.

Lucy watched the slayers actions, truly intrigued by what he was doing as the gas he expelled swirled around his hand. When his clenched hand reached toward hers, she offered her open hand. Landing in her palm was her oldest friend's key but instead of being tarnished and broken, it was restored to its former golden luster.

Cobra looked met her beautifully sad chestnut eyes, "You'll find her again, but not if your wallowing in misery. She wouldn't put up with that bullshit any day of the week and you know it."

Without response the small Celestial Maiden lunged at him and wrapped her arms around his waist, momentarily forgetting everything going on in her world. Tears sliding silently down her cheek she relished the physical contact with another human being. It had been so long she didn't realize how much she missed it from her old life.

"You trying to break my other fuckin' ribs?" he asked as he closed his right arm around the woman holding on to him as if her life depended on it.

He smoothed out her long golden strands not understanding his actions. He spoke gently and seriously "You got a shit ass hand dealt to you, and I am shocked that the lot of you faeries broke up the band but you can't let that define you."

He tightened his arms around her not wanting to let go of her warmth. At the realization he didn't want to let her go, he jolted back to his senses pushed her away gently "You've maxed out my kindness quota for the next fuckin' decade. I'm tired and my leg hurts like a mother fucker right now." He got up as gracefully as he could for being balanced unevenly on one leg and hobbled with the crutches back to the tent.

Lucy stayed there kneeling in the dirt feeling a range of emotions, most of which she hadn't felt in a long time. Swimming among the sadness, hope, and happiness was a sense of peace from his words and his embrace. She smiled to herself and for the first time in forever she felt happy.

Cobra settled himself in to his pink fluffy bed with a groan, his thoughts firing off a mile a minute. "_What the fuck is wrong with me? I should have never let her get that close to me, why does it feel like the most natural thing in the world to hold her? People don't fuckin' touch me and I hate people being in my space." _

He closed his eyes and focused on the blonde whose soul he could hear right outside the tent, he could hear the sad harpsichord harmonizing with the rest of the delicate song of her soul and he allowed himself a brief smile before drifting off to sleep.

* * *

Weeks had passed, Cobra and Lucy had fallen into a companionable routine. She helped him as he healed and his presence and companionship helped Lucy in her healing process.

Cobra had regained the memory of what happened to him but it didn't really matter to him now. He had been so enveloped in the sound of what was Lucy's soul that it all but drowned out other souls. It was easy for the unsavory mages to get the jump on him, they were quick and effective since he wasn't on guard and the idiots thought they did him in quick.

In the end they did him a favor in some twisted sense. He found the soul he was hunting and for the first time in a long time, he was happy to be around someone.

Lucy sat by the fire and was reading a book as usual when she glanced up briefly to see Cobra coming out of the woods. He walked sure-footedly, no trace of a limp.

She returned to her book but couldn't read the words, she thought about the man that has been with her. All of his previous wounds healed and he was right as rain as far as she was concerned.

It struck her then, he was healed, he was free to leave. "_He is probably going to move on any day now. I wonder if he will say goodbye when he leaves or will he just stalk off into the night. Maybe I will get a sparsely worded letter." _ Lucy sighed briefly with her sour thoughts, not wanting to see the slayer go.

Lucy heard a growl that reverberated just to her left and she yelped in surprise. "Like hell I would leave you like that" he glared at the blonde and then muttered under his breath, "Like I would fuckin' leave you."

Lucy stood up, "I… I am sorry...wait - what did you say?"

Cobra looked up at the blonde his eyes widened slightly as he realized she heard him. He looked down as the blonde approached him.

"Fuck this shit" was all Cobra said as he grabbed the beautiful blonde in front of him and brought her into a tight embrace. "I said, like hell I would leave you." as he kissed the crown of her golden hair. She leaned back to look into his eyes to see if he was telling the truth. He smirked down at her, "I would like to get the hell out of this forest though."

She nodded her head her eyes watering lightly at the happiness she felt. "Where will we go?" she asked him.

"Anywhere we fuckin' want to."


	3. Day 2: Legal

It was one of those rare occasions that Lucy found herself out on the local club scene nearly alone. The ladies bowed out for various dumb luck reasons. Mira couldn't get coverage for the bar despite her threats. Erza was called out on an emergency job request that mysteriously enough involved one Jellal Fernandes. Lisanna was still in the honeymoon phase of her newly bonded relationship with Natsu. Levy aside from little interest in clubbing, was far too pregnant to enjoy any time that involved being on her feet for extended periods of time.

That left Lucy with the most unreliable clubbing partners, Cana and Evergreen. After a few drinks they were already off hunting their prey for the evening. Cana having already found her victim and Evergreen looking for someone man enough to handle her.

Lucy, for the most part, just slowly sipped her drink while observing the crowd. She enjoyed watching people and it was always a delight to watch drunken idiots making out, thinking no one could see them.

The blonde bombshell vowed never drink herself into the stupidity she saw. Lucy never liked feeling out of control so she mastered the art of maintaining a pleasantly small buzz, one that could be worked off with a few songs on the dance floor.

Having had her fill of being a spectator, she hopped off of her bar stool and joined the throngs of people on the dance floor. She started near the rail that enclosed the floor and shut her eyes taking in the throbbing bass as it reverberated off the railing into her hand and from the floor into her body. It was a feeling she loved, the faint vibration from head to toe.

A little rusty on her confidence to dance, she clung to the edges of the dancefloor and swayed her hips completely oblivious to a set of predatory eyes watching her from the other side of the railing stalking toward her slowly but surely with unsavory intentions.

As she became comfortable, she ventured into the mass of bodies swaying to the beat of the music in the sweaty hedonistic style that most clubs elicited. She shook her hips in time with the beat and enjoyed the energy of the crowd moving around her.

Brief moments spent dancing with any stranger who came along, no one catching her interest long enough to engage them fully. As she worked her way into the center some hands became a little more insistent but it was nothing she couldn't handle. She even had to forcefully remove an individual who thought it was sexy to slobber her face with a very off mark open mouth kiss. All the while never noticing the lingering man watching her, waiting for his opportunity.

A particularly heady bass had her grinding down low and on her slow and sensual climb up she sensed a strong presence behind her. She felt the sway of the tall body moving in sync with her, close enough to feel the heat of their body without actual contact . The masculine scent of cedarwood mixed with nutmeg surrounded her, a smell that she found both stimulating and comforting.

Lucy debated on whether to turn around to see who the man behind her was, or continue to enjoy the allure of the mystery. She didn't have a chance to make a decision before a large set of hands embraced her shoulders ever so lightly.

The strong masculin hands gently traced down her arms, sliding under her smaller ones, letting Lucy decide where they rested. She guided them to her hips, a contented sigh escaped her lips and she leaned her head back into the chest of the unknown man. Subconscious thoughts of where those hands could travel and what they could do flitted through her mind.

She felt a warm breath near her ear before she barely heard the man speak, "Mmm… I am game for that Sweetness."

Lucy was about to still recognizing the voice of the infamous poison dragon slayer. "Don't stop, act natural. I'm not the one you need to worry about", he shifted her body a hare to the left and continued in her ear as their bodies moved together perfectly.

"Four o'clock, ugly ass blond tips spiked up with the fuckin' cum he jacked an hour ago. Been watching you since you got here."

Lucy decided to speak internally instead of turning at an awkward angle to shout into his ear. "_That's gross, but so what?"_

"It's what he is planning in that frosted fucked up head of his." Cobra's breath tickled her ear and sent a tingling sensation down her spine. In response to her movement, he laced his long fingers with her perfectly manicured ones.

Lucy surveyed the crowd in front of her, "_I sense no magical signature in him, so why should I care?"_

Cobra spun Lucy around with an arm firmly around her mid-back, his other hand gently caressing her upper arm. He marveled at how firm she felt in his arms while her skin felt so delicate. He leaned his head toward her opposite ear.

"Don't ever assume someone is not dangerous just because they don't have magic. That mistake will get you killed." He growled lowly as he spoke the words.

The Celestial Mage felt the growl in the pit of her stomach and she fought her reaction to it, she barely knew the Poison Slayer through their scant encounters over the years.

"So you like the animal side do you Sweetness?" he asked as he nuzzled the top of her ear with his nose while leaning into her just enough that their bodies made contact while they moved on the dancefloor.

"_I don't know what your talking about… Why should I worry about that skeezy guy?" _Lucy asked with a little more of an annoyed tone to her thoughts.

The Slayer chuckled at her denial, "He had some kind of magic cancelling roofie he planned on droppin' you. What the fucktards intentions are after that aren't exactly pleasant or legal."

Cobra turned the blonde around again guiding her with one hand placed gingerly on her hip he pulled the hair away from the side of her face so he had better access to her skin.. He inhaled deeply appreciating her delicate scent mixed with sweat and laced with her arousal. As his lips tickled the shell of her ear, "Let's just say that monster is one sick fuck and more depraved than what I am even capable of. I already took care of the matter."

Lucy spotted the would be predator noticing the white clammy complexion of the man. Looking like he was about to be ill, he made a mad dash off the dancefloor. "_Cobra, what did you do?"_

Lucy could feel the chuckling of the poison slayer at her back, "Let's just say he won't be leaving that bathroom until well after this place shuts down."

Lucy chuckled and released the tension she hadn't known she held. Again she felt the warm breath on her ear, "That's it Sweetness relax", he glided his hands along her sides as the beat of the song changed into something with a more sensual beat.

She turned in his hands swinging one arm around his neck while the other braced herself against his broad chest. The soft material of his black shirt soothing under her touch. She nuzzled into his neck and inhaled, letting the scent of him wash over her easing her mind, letting it wander with a sigh that only the Slayer heard.

He allowed her tender touches to land on his chest, not willing to expose her to his insecurities, he came to her after all. Normally anyone who took these liberties would instantly regret it, but with her in this moment, he just couldn't.

Hearing her inhale deeply, her soul opened up and enveloped him. As the small blonde lost herself in the moment, Cobra allowed himself the same luxury.

Their bodies slid against one another as if they belonged together, Lucy had the lascivious thought of his naked form slick against her own bare curves, mouths exploring, fingers kneading flesh. The Slayer growled and her lust spiked, he grinded up against her in that moment as his teeth grazed her earlobe, mirroring her mental image. "Fuck, you'd like that, wouldn't you Sweetness." he placed a searing kiss along her jaw.

Lucy turned her head so their lips almost met, she closed the distance and grabbed his bottom lip between her teeth as she clung to him desperate for more physical contact.

The pace of the music changed suddenly to something more frenzied, breaking the lustful spell the two mages fell into.

Lucy stepped away from Cobra quickly, sweaty and flush, she looked at the slayer who was glaring at the blonde with his single violet eye, he grabbed her hand firmly and escorted her out the nearest exit into the night.

"Where exactly do you think I am going?" Lucy's question laced with sass as she tried to shake herself of the intimate moment she had in the club in with the man she hardly knew.

"I've had enough of that cesspool. So we are leaving."

Lucy stopped on the sidewalk, eyeing the slayer in front of her, "We?"

Cobra turned on his heel to face the blonde he took in the entirety of her beautiful form, golden hair cascading around her flushed face. Her midnight blue dress clung to her curves like a second skin. It was perfectly tailored showing just enough without looking trashy.

Her exposed sweaty skin shimmered like starlight under the harsh streetlamps. Her physical form was breathtaking but it was her soul that tied the whole package together for him. Her soul sounded like a summer evening in the great wide open, it sounded free. It was alluring to the slayer and he wasn't ready to leave it especially after their moment in the club.

He took a silent step closer to her, "Yes, we" he said firmly, he held out his hand to her. He wanted to take her and fulfill those errant thoughts as they danced in the club. He was giving her the option to walk away even though every fiber of his being was hoping she would take his hand. He wouldn't force her to do anything she wasn't comfortable with, especially not with the history they had.

Lucy looked at the open hand extended out to her, and all the possibilities it held. She searched the slayer's expression for an answer to the question that hadn't articulated itself yet. There was no denying from the moment she felt his presence behind her on the dancefloor that there was something drawing them to each other.

She reached out and grabbed his warm hand, feeling a sense of relief and excitement at her snap decision in that moment. Ready to explore what was to come with the man leading her into the night.

As they walked she asked the Slayer one simple, but loaded question, "Why?" So many questions hiding behind that one word. Why was he at the club? Why did he help her? Why is he being nice to her? Why does she feel this pull toward him?

He chuckled at all the questions swarming in her head. "Slow down there Sunshine, you'll ruin the moment."

He knew her brain would continue to work overtime, so he answered as best he could. "Midnight, Angel, and Meredy wanted a night out and I for some dumbass reason felt like joining them. I picked up on that scum-fucker making his sick fucking plans and decided to take care of it."

He paused a moment to figure out how to word his next answer, "I may be a violent bastard and a complete asshole but I would never violate a woman. When I found him, I realized you were the target and I had no fucking problem adding a little poison to his drink. I also called the Douche Knights since he was wanted for the rape and murder of a young mage in Clover."

Lucy was disturbed by the information and squeezed his hand, "Thank you" she said and did not dwell any further on the matter.

They continued to walk in silence, the sexual tension building between the two with every step. Cobra directed her up, what was to her, a random set of steps leading to a brownstone.

"Wait, you live here in Magnolia?" she asked turning toward the man as he fished keys out of his pocket.

He smirked down at the blonde, "Yup, moved here about six months ago." he commented as he unlocked his door. He stepped aside to allow her in first. As she walked by him he brought his hand down on her ass and spanked her.

"Ouch!" Lucy yelled as she jumped and started rubbing her freshly slapped cheek.

"Oh please you loved it." and all joking aside he knew from her soul that she enjoyed things that weren't so vanilla.

As she walked into his apartment she was surprised to see that it didn't look like a desolate bachelor pad. Lucy wasn't sure what she expected, but a tastefully decorated apartment was not it.

It was obvious that Cobra loved cooler hues and well constructed furniture. He didn't own cheap Ikea shit like she did. Then again, she didn't have much of a choice with the amount of times she had to replace her pieces. Removing her shoes at the door, she began walking toward the couch.

"No point sweetness, bedroom is the door on the left, bathroom is opposite" he knew she wanted to freshen herself up. As she did so, he went to his room and tidied up the room and took what Cobra liked to call his baby cancelling magic potion.

Lucy entered the bedroom just as he set down the little bottle. She immediately recognized the bottle and was relieved that protections wasn't somehow her sole responsibility to think about.

"I'll be damned if I bring any kids into my fucked up life" was Cobra's response. Lucy wasn't sure how to take the response but he was smiling. That's when she noticed something she hadn't before, he had two very sexy dimples accessorizing his smile.

As she stood and looked at the taller man, he began to unbutton his shirt, slowly removing it to reveal a body that Lucy could only dream about. He was muscular but not bulky, he clearly kept in shape without putting in the maximum effort. His lean body was highlighted by his golden caramel skin marred with signs of his tumultuous past.

Her eyes soaked in all his features as she raised her eyes further to admire his strong jawline that held his panty melting dimples. The scar that ran over his left eye added to his bad boy appeal. She met the gaze of his singular eye, the color of the ripest and juiciest plum, it was a look that could destroy any woman's panties.

Lucy was so lost that she failed to realize he had approached her, "All these thoughts of panties have me curious", he stroked her arm gently, "What do you have waiting for me?"

Cobra closed their distance and carded his fingers through the hair behind her ear and pulled her lips to his own. The kiss was soft and slow, allowing the lips to cling to one another as they pulled away.

Lucy had become hyper aware of every touch, every brush of his fingertips, the heat of his breath as he drew her in for a more intense kiss. He wrapped his other arm around her waist and pulled her snug to his body.

He kissed her deeper, delving his tongue into her mouth, meeting hers as they slid against each other. She hummed as his tongue became more aggressive.

He pulled away nipping at her lips. Lucy was left in breathless state wondering if he was just as turned on as she was. He responded to her unspoken question, "bed" he grabbed the bottom hem of her dress and pulled up, easing it off of her curves. "Now" he growled out as he watched her walk toward the bed, clad in only her lavender lace bra and panties.

Cobra stripped the rest of his clothing off unceremoniously as Lucy climbed onto the bed. The naked Poison Slayer approached, eyeing her as if she was a delicious morsel to be devoured.

Lucy had taken in his fully naked form and a wave of desire crashed over her. She could feel the wetness between her legs even more now and her mind ran wild with what he could do with that body of his.

"You have no idea what you're in for Doll." he said as he grabbed her ankles and yanked her toward so he was nestled between her legs. He kneaded his hands along her smooth porcelain legs feeling the muscles beneath her delicate flesh.

Lucy kept perfectly still, closing her eyes and enjoying the sensations of his rough hands kneading into her flesh, gliding higher and higher up her legs until he reached the soft fleshiness of her inner thighs.

He pushed her legs further apart where he eyed the dampened state of her panties, the beautiful lavender hue darkened from her arousal. "Fuck that's hot, seeing how wet you are" his thumbs skimmed along the elastic of her panties but never dipping underneath.

Lucy gasped but remained silent as his hands slid slowly up the sides of her body until he reached the underside of her bra. He skimmed lightly over the outer edge of the cup.

Lucy's soul begged for him to remove it as quickly as possible, so he dropped a trace amount of corrosive poison from the tip of his finger and watched as the material was eaten away in the valley of the cups.

She felt the bra fall away humming as she felt his hands cup what was hidden by the offending lace. Cobra loved the weight and size of her perfectly rounded breasts, he bent over her gently and flicked his tongue over each of her pointed nipples.

The cooled wetness was intense as Lucy's arousal was heightened. A pleasurable sigh escaped her lips as he enveloped his mouth over the pebbled peeks sucking gently. Grazing each nipple with his teeth as he pulled his mouth away.

"So fuckin' perfect" he said has he squeezed her breasts roughly before pulling her up to devour her lips. The flush on her face was innocent and sinful all at the same time. Their tongues danced between their mouths as hands roamed over each other's naked skin.

Cobra's mouth started trailing along her jaw toward her ear, Lucy's hand bracing one arm while the other hand tangled into his maroon locks tightened her grip on his scalp the closer he got to her earlobe.

"Your soul is begging me to fuck you Sweetness" he whispered lustfully in her ear, biting her lobe and gently tugging it.

Lucy tried to repress the heady moan that wanted to escape her lips, as the Slayer's teeth grazed her neck. Her thoughts were scrambled but one thing kept nagging at her, "Tell me Cobra, what is your soul begging for?" she asked breathlessly.

Cobra paused in his ministrations unsure of how to answer. This did not feel like just another conquest for the night. He felt drawn to her always but ignored it, tonight he let his soul lead him and this is where he ended up. In bed with the gorgeous blond that had been the star of his dreams for years, not that she would ever find that out. He knew this was going to be more than a one night stand.

"It's begging for you to scream my name when you cum hard on my cock." he growled out to the gorgeous blonde in his arms.

Lucy moaned lightly "yes, Cobra" as he pinched and rolled one of her sensitive nipples between his fingers.

"No sweetness, my real name. I want to hear my real name fall from those sinful lips." he wrapped his own lips round hers again with a passion she'd never experienced. She silently questioned what his real name was.

He tore his mouth away from her, "Erik" was all he said before moving his mouth down the column of her neck sucking small amounts of flesh into his mouth and biting gently.

They continued exploring each other with their mouths and hands, writhing against one another. Lucy was close to cumming from shamelessly grinding her covered center against his cock.

"Tell me baby, tell me what I want to hear" he growled out as he tore away her lavender panties.

"Fuck me Erik, please" her soul was more descript with a flurry of images and incoherent thoughts.

Cobra lined up his ridgid length against Lucy's soaked core. He massaged the tip of his cock in the arousal that collected between her lower lips.

He plunged into her heat roughly and Lucy's nearly came from the feeling of his cock entering her. He settled himself to the hilt and growled at how she felt around his length.

The slick heat enveloping him, he relished in the pulses of tightness he felt along his shaft. He twitched in response and the lustful blonde raised her hips to get him to go deeper. "Come on Erik, make me scream" she goaded him as she thrust up into the man.

He pulled out of her abruptly and commanded her, "Get on your fuckin' knees and stick that sweet ass in the air."

Lucy complied quickly, her chest pressed into the mattress while her back arched enough to stick her ass up in the air. She immediately felt his hand come down on her ass and she jolted from the pleasure of it.

Erik lined himself up and drove himself into her. The pace he set was relentless, grasping her hips as he built to a punnishing pace.

Lucy was focused on her building orgasm, enjoying the rapid thrusting of his hips reaching deep within' her. She could tell the Slayer was close, his rhythm became frantic as she spoke. "Yea, that's it, cum hard Erik."

In that moment Erik growled loudly as he came and Lucy felt the vibrations in her soul. He was coming down from his orgasm when he switched their positions to what the blonde had conjured up in her head.

Cobra was on his knees still deeply seated in the blonde while Lucy was on her side, one leg trapped between the slayer's legs and the other tossed over the top of his leg. She was straddling Erik's thigh, grinding down on it. He watched as she did all the work, feeling her legs tighten around his own. As she came closer to her own release she grasped at the muscular leg she was riding, with his cock hitting her most sensitive area deep within' her.

Her moans were building as Erik grunted from the way she squeezed his cock. "Fuck, Lucy you love this position dont'cha, you love squeezing my cock as you fuck me."

His words did it, she felt the build up crash over in wave after wave of pleasure. Moaning his real name as she came harder than she ever had before.

Completely spent they flopped down on the bed next to one another. Panting heavily she turned toward the man who had just fully sated her, "Erik huh?"

He gave her soft glare, "don't fuckin' tell anyone, you're free to use it when we are alone, especially if we're fucking."

She smiled at the man, unimpressed with his half hearted glare, "You sound like I'll be seeing you again, brave of you to assume this will happen again."

"You bet your sweet ass it will, there are so many things I haven't done to you yet." he smiled down at the flushed blonde.

He kissed her forehead gently and within' moments Lucy fell asleep cradled in Erik's arms.


	4. Day 3: Foamy

The mission that Lucy accepted was easy but dangerous and rather tedious. She had enlisted the help of their newest guild member and Kinana's friend, Cobra the Poison Dragon Slayer. The flyer she plucked was submitted by a world-renowned potion maker in Crocus and it read like a grocery list for Cobra's pantry. A variety of poisonous plants, minerals, fungus, and bugs were listed to be gathered around the Kingdom of Fiore.

Cobra readily agreed when the beautiful blonde approached him since it was a prime opportunity to gather some of his favorite ingredients with the added bonus of spending time with the Celestial Mage, which he harbored some sort of feelings for. What those feelings were exactly he wasn't entirely sure, but he knew it was nothing like what he felt toward his best friend Kinana.

He never had the desire to touch his best friend, hell he didn't have a desire to touch anyone, at all, period. The light of Fairy Tail though, he was curious what her skin would feel like under his fingertips. He always brushed it off though, everyone seemed to feel that way about her so he chalked it up to something inherent to her magic.

It was a few hours later that Lucy found herself on the train reading up on poisonous plants while the temporary partners headed to their furthest destination for collection. She glanced over to the nauseous looking slayer, smirking at how alike he is to the rest of the slayers.

"Shut it, I am nothing like those whiny fucks." he opened his eye to glare at Lucy.

"Cranky aren't we?" she smirked at the miserable slayer.

"I'm always fuckin' cranky. In case you never noticed" Cobra huffed as he crossed his arms over his chest.

"Now you look like a petulant cranky slayer." Lucy laughed as Cobra flipped her the bird.

Lucy closed her book and looked thoughtfully at the slayer. After a few silent moments, she softly spoke to the slayer, "I don't think you are always cranky."

"Then you're as dumb as you look," he replied in a sour tone.

Lucy simply smiled, "I am not dumb, and you know it. You just get nastier the closer people get to the truth."

"Cunt" Cobra snarled at the blonde.

"Case in point." and Lucy winked, "Got to sleep, you big baby."

Cobra closed his eye and mumbled "bitch" under his breath.

"I heard that." Lucy retorted

"Good" was the last thing she heard before he started snoring.

* * *

As the train pulled into the station Lucy packed up her book and gathered her backpack before leaning over toward the slayer. She watched him for a moment inspecting his peaceful face. His normally furrowed brows were relaxed making him look more handsome than she already thought he was. She admired his strong high cheekbones that were accentuated by the scar that blinded him in one eye.

Lucy could get lost in the deep shade of plum of his single eye but she particularly loved his full lips that often turned up in a smirk that accompanied his snarky comments. It was time to wake him so she stood and leaned over his sleeping form to try and annoy him awake.

Cobra awoke with a flick to his nose. Before opening his eye, he heard the soft voice of his mission partner right in front of his face "Wake up sleeping beauty."

His slightly hoarse voice responded to the blond, "your doing it wrong".

She paused a moment and questioned with a simple, "huh?"

He cracked his eye open and rolled it, "Sleeping beauty, didn't wake up with a flick to her fuckin' nose."

Lucy blushed slightly, as she thought about pressing her lips to Cobra's. Unaware as to what possessed her, she had a bold moment in with her retort, "You haven't earned it yet."

As soon as the words tumbled out of her mouth she turned as red as Erza's hair and apologized quickly.

Cobra chuckled, "You're not sorry" and he winked at the blonde as he stood to get off the train.

Once on the platform, Cobra looked at the map Lucy handed him and looked toward the north. "The jungle is this way, ready Lucy goosey?"

Cobra failed to avoid the punch to his arm, "I hate that name!" He just chuckled at her, "I know."

Lucy grumbled along behind the slayer "This is gonna be a long ass mission."

"YuuuuP" responded the slayer.

It had been two weeks of building sexual tension and they were on the way to the last destination to collect the last of their items. What was left could be found at Mt. Hakobe and coincidentally enough, they were looking for a plant called the Vulcan Star, a Vulcan Mushroom and lastly the Vulcan Princess butterfly.

The Vulcan series of poisonous items were known to be highly irritating to the skin when handled, especially if you came into contact from the foamy substance that seemed to grow on all three of these items. It was hands down the easiest items on the list to obtain and the least dangerous.

They decided to find a room at a local Inn to get some much-needed rest after their day of travel. Lucy figured a fresh start in the morning would be the best course of action.

As stood at the Inn's office, Lucy found herself falling into a rabbit hole of thoughts as Cobra handled the accommodations in front of her. She thought about their extended mission coming to a close and with it a pang of sadness shot through her. Her time with Cobra had tapped into an unknown part of her that she was happy to embrace.

Lucy feared that once she got back to the guild it would be buried in the rubble of expectations from her friends and teammates. She was mourning the potential loss of a feeling that seemed so close to her truest self.

She had a theory that every personality had multiple facets that made up the whole of a person, like a beautiful diamond. The Celestial Mage already had so many facets in her short life: the dutiful heiress; the runaway teen coming-of-age on the run; the appointed damsel in distress of Fairy Tail; budding celestial mage; high maintenance princess; loyal friend; the list can go on and on.

Only half of those facets were true in what made up the beautiful blonde that is Lucy Heartfilia. Now, after spending so much time this tall rough handsome man she beginning to find the center of who she was.

It was her companion for this mission that made her realize there was more to her than the high maintenance damsel in distress that everyone around her made her out to be. He had no expectations of her, he didn't categorize her, he treated her as an equal and that allowed her to feel more at peace with herself.

Despite his salty nature, Cobra was very supportive of her in ways that her team never would be. It was a simple formula really, open communication when it was important. Communication that consisted of sharing ideas and knowledge while the other party actually listened.

The two mages worked surprisingly well together on a professional level. Cobra considered her tactical sense to be logical and sensible so he had no problem with following along with Lucy's plans. She was fast on her feet and adapted surprisingly well.

It helped that Cobra never took anyone's words or stories as gospel either. He preferred to get his own sense of who surrounded him instead of listening to the advice of others. If he had, he would have never taken the job with Lucy because according to everyone's inner thoughts, she was dead weight.

She was not dead weight, she was more logic and tact than brute force. The same issues occurred with her friend Levy too. An intelligent mind wasn't always favored by the Guild since many of its members had aggressive magic.

On a personal level, they had an undeniable chemistry that they both stupidly tried to ignore. Lucy spent a lot of time convincing herself he was not interested and Cobra spent a lot of time trying not to picture her moaning under his touch.

Cobra shifted his weight as he leaned on the counter of the check-in desk. Attempting to pay attention to the haggard old woman in front of him, he was trying hard not to listen in on the beauty behind him when the tune of her soul changed. He had become accustomed to the subtle variations her soul produced, always focusing in when he detected a difference.

As Lucy pulled herself out her thoughts before she got in too deep, she found herself gazing at the poison slayer's tall figure. He was perfectly proportioned to her liking, tall enough to tower over her but not so much that she ended up with a stiff neck when looking up at him.

Due to the heat, he wasn't wearing his signature white coat, but he still had on full length tailored pants that fit snuggly to his ass and a trim fit black t-shirt that left no imagination to how muscular his form was.

Her eyes lingered on his body longer than she should have, her mind drifted to how it would feel to palm his perfectly defined ass as she snaked her body around him. Imagining the feeling of his muscles tensing under her touch. Trailing her fingers up over his sharply defined hips and spreading her hands onto the plains of his abs, feeling his well-defined abdomen as she reached up toward his shoulder. She thought of reaching her fingers up through his maroon locks and grabbing his hair at the base of his neck, tugging him toward her lips.

She was brought out of her revery as a result of someone clearing their throat. She looked up to see the poison slayer handing her a key card to her room, the look on his face she could not discern. She felt as though she were a child caught with their hand in the candy jar and she smiled sheepishly at him as she took her card.

"Room number 205" was all he said as Cobra walked past her in a huff and found his way to the stairway, Lucy following closely behind. He wasn't sure what to make of sexy little vignette her soul played out. She occasionally had a stray thought about him but it was always fleeting. They were usually a direct result of flirtatious banter between them which has increased over the last few weeks together.

He shrugged it off as a fluke because after all he was Cobra the Poison Dragon Slayer and he didn't give two fucks what people thought of him and he didn't give two shits about anyone. He tried to convince himself of that when it came to the blonde, but he knew it was a lie.

He enjoyed Lucy's company and truly liked her, despite their general lack of quality time spent together prior to this mission. They were having the perfect opportunity for the two of them to get to know each other without the insanity of the guild interfering. He wasn't sure what she felt for him, but he sure as hell wasn't going to deny the little spitfire whatever she wanted or needed from him.

Lucy felt embarrassed at being caught in her brief reverie of the Poison Slayer, she hung her head to avoid conversation as they walked down the hall in silence. His demeanor took on his usual cool aloofness and it made her uncomfortable. She approached her door and he stopped at the door right next to hers.

He heard the familiar thread of sadness and embarrassment from her and he certainly did not like it. They looked at each other briefly then and Cobra smiled at the blonde as he said, "Don't be embarrassed."

Hearing the mechanical whir of the lock he winked at her as he entered his room and the door shut loudly behind him. Lucy was left there staring into the space the slayer had just occupied, she shook her head in confusion and entered her room.

Lucy decided she needed to clear her mind, and a good hot soak in the oversized tub in her room was just what she needed. Despite the attempt, she found herself right back to thinking about the man she had spent the last few weeks with.

She relished the comfortable silence her and Cobra shared around each other, how at ease she was around him. It was a welcomed change to always having to be "on" with her fellow guildmates, whether it be on missions, at the guild hall or even in her own home.

Lucy also enjoyed the endless flirtatious banter between her and the Poison Slayer. It was harmless fun but there was no denying that something has clicked between them. What exactly she had yet to suss out, after all, he did spend all his time with Kinana at the guild so maybe he was already spoken for.

All she knew was that it was effortless to be around him. She was comfortable in her skin and her abilities while on this mission and there was a confidence she lacked around her own team. It was refreshing and she committed, at that moment, to take more jobs with the Poison Slayer.

As Lucy relaxed with her thoughts, enjoying the semi-weightless feeling of being in the tub, she heard the shower start just on the other side of the wall. She smiled to herself as she conjured an image of the man stripping in the room next door.

She was physically attracted to sharp-tongued man, but she held herself in check over these past weeks, not wanting to scare him away or step out of line. Earlier in the lobby was her first real slip-up, but it was nothing compared to what her imagination could whip up when she was alone.

She let out a deep sigh as she slid down into the water a little more to enjoy the warmth. She heard the fluctuation in the sound of the shower spray change, telling her that he had entered the shower.

She pictured his maroon locks, flattened by a stream of water beating against his skull. She just knew the water would be scalding hot as he ran his strong masculine hands through his wet hair, as he washed his hair.

As he scrubbed his scalp, suds would be cascading down the center of his tan and scarred muscular back. Water would glide off of his perfectly formed round and perky ass carrying more suds down his deceivingly powerful legs.

Lucy continued to indulge herself as she pictured him turn under the spray of the water sharp as nails on his skin. Head tipped back in the water rinsing the remaining suds, water dripping down onto his neck from his sharply defined jawline, flowing over his accentuated adams apple, bobbing as he swallowed.

He would begin to soap up his body, working the bar into a lather across his broad chest, lather flowing down his six-pack of abs that are always hidden by his trim fitting clothes. Rivulets of water draw the attention further south as they flowed over the sharp lines of his hips. The glistening trail of maroon hair that starts just below his belly button all traveling south down toward…. BANG!

Lucy yelped loudly as she was brought out of her intimate images when she heard Cobra yell, "Get your mind out of the fucking gutter!"

Lucy sat up abruptly with enough sense to be mildly embarrassed, "Sorry" was all she could squeak out. She heard him chuckle next door, "Don't be, maybe I'll let you watch sometime."

An image of her in the shower with the slayer quickly flitted through her brain. She heard another laugh from the other side of the wall, "Only if a good girl Sweetness."

Too embarrassed to say anything else, she quickly got dressed and before rushing out of the bathroom she said, "Good night' just loud enough for the slayer to hear.

* * *

Despite the previous evening's mishap, the two partners found themselves wandering the woods at the base of Mt. Hakobe in total comfort. Almost as if none of it had happened. Lucy did notice that he was walking a little closer to her, which is something she did not mind at all.

As they walked on a path with Cobra leading the way, he stopped short and turned toward the Celestial blonde. He stared at her for a heartbeat before he spoke. "You don't always have to use Cobra." Lucy gave the slayer a large appreciative smile understanding just what it meant, "OK Erik". Smiling even harder, letting the name roll off her tongue.

It was an unspoken understanding within' the guild that no one except Kinana could call him Erik. A sweetness in Lucy's soul quickly caught his attention. She was affected at a core level with this simple gesture and it pulled at something deep within' him. He found himself smiling down the blonde, "Now that the sappy shit is over with, let's get to those last items, Sweetness."

They traveled on for a few more hours finally coming upon a small clearing. Cobra walked up behind Lucy and dipped down near her ear and inhaled deeply and in a deep predatory growl, he spoke just next to her ear "Mmm… I smell something… delicious." he then pointed just toward the center of the clearing, "right over there, see the blue wings?" Lucy nodded as a shiver went down her spine at the husky voice that dripped like honey.

He chuckled as he walked past her toward the venomous butterfly fluttering over one of the flowers. He made short work of breathing out a trace amount of gas to stun the creature for easy collection. He caught the delicate creature in his hands and placed it gently into the container Lucy held out for the butterfly.

Virgo appeared in her typical fashion of doorbells and gold dust, she collected the creature to be stored in the celestial realm for safekeeping. With a small bow and request for punishment the maid returned.

Cobra looked at the blonde and started, "You know…"

Lucy held her hand up immediately and replied, "No I don't, and I don't want to."

Cobra chuckled and shook his head, "suit yourself, she gave me some great ideas though." he said as he walked past the blonde.

As he passed her she had a stray thought of him in a suggestive situation with his best friend and she was surprised at the pang of sadness she felt. Cobra paused momentarily in surprise at the passing thought of the beauty behind him. He intended to stop her train of thought, but she quickly switched gears and he decided to let it go.

They walked a little further past the clearing, Erik found himself wondering why the blonde had these moments of doubt. He never decided to dig around in her soul as he did with most everyone else. There was something about her that commanded privacy and respect. He would listen in willingly when her soul was reaching out, as it so often did, but it was times like this when she was deep in thought that her soul got quiet. To say that it concerned him was an understatement, however, who was he to pry. They weren't exactly best friends and he didn't want to scare her away with questions that may be prying too much into her life.

She had been so relaxed and open in their time together, but since they arrived at the inn her soul started to become erratic. More so than when she is in the guild with her team. He thought about his actions toward her and wondered if it was any of his doing, but he was drawing a blank. It was almost like she was walling up and he wasn't sure why.

Lucy in the meantime and fallen into a bit of a rut as she trailed behind the slayer through the forest. She was sad that their mission was coming to an end and more than likely it would go back to business as usual in the guild. She had to prepare herself for the inevitable. Cobra will leave her to her team and he will leave her high and dry, a concept she was familiar with.

Lucy thought about how everyone left after Tartaros and even though she was happy when they were all reunited, it left a scar. When would they leave her again, it was always a brief thought when she in her happiest moments in the guild. She hated that she hadn't been able to shake it. She understood the reasons why everyone did what they did, but that doesn't stop the hurt.

It stung a little more when everyone started pairing up, slayers attach themselves to a partner and she had always thought she had her lifelong partner in Natsu. She was ready to commit to him all those years ago, like a foolish girl. She blames no one but herself, how was she supposed to know that the sweet white-haired mage, Lisanna was his one true partner for life.

Lucy didn't fault them, instead of blaming them she turned her hurt inward for being blind to everything. For not knowing enough about slayers, for thinking she would be a first choice. She knew she was fooling herself with Erik, his partner was clearly back at the guild tending bar. Kinana was truly his life long partner since she had been attached to him since childhood, obviously.

While focused on her downward spiraling thoughts she bumped into the slayer and was taken aback when he snapped "What the fuck" as he turned around. Lucy's eyes turned downward, "I'm sorry, I just was thinking of something."

Erik felt a pang of guilt at snapping at the blonde, he was hungry and frustrated with the turn in attitude of his mission partner. "Hey, let's stop here and eat. I'm fuckin' starving and getting cranky."

Lucy snorted, "No shit, you just damn near bit my head off."

Erik smiled sheepishly, "Sorry, like I said, fuckin' hungry."

Virgo brought out a picnic basket filled with delicious snack foods for them to graze at and a blanket for them to sit on. Which was not a typical thing for them to have done, but the loyal maid could sense that her master needed cheering up.

Lucy smiled at the set up before them, "I always loved picnic lunches."

Erik heard the happiness in her soul at the memories, "picnic's huh?"

Lucy nodded, "Yea, my Mom and I would always have them." she nibbled on some apple and cheese. "Once she got sick though, they stopped." she frowned a little.

"My Mom and I had a picnic once before we were taken from our village." he smiled at the blonde in hopes to cheer her up. "The bugs annoyed the fuck out of me though." he chuckled at the fleeting memory and he looked at the warm smile of blonde in front of him. "I'm glad Virgo brought out one for us."

Lucy briefly thought of romantic picnics with the slayer and tried to suppress the hope. Hearing her soul go quiet again, Cobra was getting pissed at the emotional back and forth, if he didn't leave her presence at that moment he was compelled to pry with his magic. Abruptly he stood, "I have to go take a piss."

Lucy began to tidy her area, attempting to shake her negative thoughts away. It wasn't fair to put such ideas into either of their heads. He was clearly Kinana's partner and they were developing a wonderful friendship. He was just flirty and nothing was ever meant to come of their flirtatious banter.

Erik came back to find the blonde had cleaned everything up. He watched her as she was idly smoothing out her shirt after standing up. Her golden hair almost sparkling in the mottled sunlight. Erik couldn't deny her beauty and felt that whatever their connection was, it was important to him.

Making his presence known, he pulled a large ugly as sin mushroom from his pocket. "Looky looky what I found on my way back." he smiled at the blonde.

Lucy was pleased that they had yet another item crossed off their list. She grinned at the poison slayer and grabbed a plastic baggie holding it out for him to drop the grotesque mushroom into. Virgo appeared before them to take the mushroom and remaining picnic items back with her and bid them a pleasant afternoon.

The slayer had taken another smaller bite-sized poisonous mushroom for himself and decided to munch on it. He popped into his mouth and groaned with satisfaction, enjoying the sponginess of the fungus and the spiciness of the poison. He was in his own blissful state as he munched the little treat and as it slid down his throat he happened to notice the blonde watching him.

They stared briefly at each other, Lucy about to comment on how inappropriate it looked as he ate the mushroom but the words died before they could leave her pink lips. She watched as Erik slowly brought each of his fingers up to his mouth, licking the remnants away, his mouth enveloping each fingertip humming at the deliciousness of the poison.

Lucy couldn't help but feel her cheeks flush as she pictured the slayer putting her fingers in his mouth in the same fashion and how it would feel to have his warm wet tongue swirl around her fingertips.

Cobra chuckled darkly, "You like that huh, imagining what my tongue could do." She slowly nodded her head with an almost imperceptible moan, then as if breaking the hypnotic trance of his actions she shook her head.

She looked wide-eyed at the slayer, "Oh god, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to think those things. I know I need to stop and it isn't fair to you or Kinana." Lucy's eyes began to well up with a few unshed tears at her stupidity.

Erik took a step toward the upset blonde, royally confused by what she was blubbering on about. As he approached she backed up, "I hope we can still be friends and I hope Kinana won't be mad. I have to...umm I'll meet you back at the Inn", and with that, she turned on her heels and ran calling over her shoulder "I'm so sorry."

She fled with tears in her eyes, full of embarrassment for her actions and thoughts toward the poison slayer. Lucy failed to realize that as she fled she ended up running through a patch of Vulcan Starflowers.

The patch varied in size, spreading its foamy irritants all over her exposed skin from ankle; to bare midriff; to elbow. Her mind was too muddled with negative thoughts about her actions to even notice her mistake.

"What is wrong with me for thinking he was available never mind interested. I should have realized he was with Kinana. He probably thinks I am so kind of idiot."

Lucy slowed down to a walk slowly scratching at her arms, "OK, I need to stop this pity party. Enough is enough, I need to apologize for my inappropriate behavior properly."

Lucy started scratching her stomach, "I need to do it without breaking down into a whiny weeping mess." She began to furiously rub her wrist "...and hope that we can stay friends."

The blonde looked down at her wrist and noticed she had scratched it raw, rivulets of blood peeking out of the reddened burning skin. "God Damnit" she uttered as she looked behind her to see her path through the poisonous flowers.

She sat on a nearby log and continued to furiously scratch and rub at the irritated patches of skin. The pain and irritation were overwhelming her. She knew she shouldn't be touching it but she just couldn't help it.

Lucy faded back into her negative state of mind as she tried to relieve the irritation all over her body, "Fuck, I am such an idiot for losing my cool like this. He is gonna think I am fricken moron. It's only been a few weeks and here I am acting like a boy-crazy teenager suddenly."

Cobra trailed the scent of the confusing and frustrating woman. He had no idea why but for some fucked up reason she was on some kind of emotional roller coaster that he wanted off of. He was confused and angry and ready to rip into her like no tomorrow for her nonsense.

"Why am I dealing with this shit! I like her, she likes me, let's spend time together and screw each other's brains out. Why is that so fuckin' difficult?" His thoughts lead him to the realization that he some serious feelings for the Celestial Wizard. Their time spent together had solidified what he felt for her was something new to him and he didn't want to let it go.

He all but stopped cold when he saw the small blonde huddled over on herself, whimpering and rubbing her wrists furiously. He could smell the poison and blood mixed and for Cobra, it was the most delightful and exhilarating scent in the world. His aggressive demeanor all but melted away at the sight of her in such a sad state of affairs.

Erik approached Lucy cautiously, hearing her soul's frustration with herself. She was berating herself for wanting something more than friendship with the poison slayer. He had no idea where she got the idea but she thought that he was mated to Kinana.

As Erik knelt slowly in front of the blonde he spoke softly as he gently took one of the bleeding wrists in his own hand. "Hey… shhh… stop thinking like that." he told Lucy as he inspected her wrist. Lucy's watery chestnut eyes looked up into Erik's plum iris with confusion. "I need to apologize for my behavior."

"You need to apologize for nothing," Cobra responded firmly. "I am not with Kinana, she is my best friend and has been with me since childhood, but she is the sister I never had." Cobra scrunched up his face in disgust, "Just the idea of kissing her makes me want to vomit."

Lucy smiled at the ridiculous face he made, "Okay, but I still apologize for being a hot mess." Lucy looked herself over, "I stupidly ran through the patch of Vulcan Star and now I want to claw my skin off.".

"Good thing I am here then." Cobra retorted. He inspected her to see if there were any patches other than her wrists that were raw and bleeding. He looked back up at her and asked the most obvious question in his mind, "Where do you want me to start?" Lucy looked at him with a mildly surprised look, "Huh?"

Erik rolled his eye, "Hi, I'm Cobra the Poison Dragon Slayer and I fuckin' love to eat the shit out of poison. You, happen to be covered in it sooo… where do you want me to start?"

Lucy huffed and then blushed lightly, "There is a patch on the inside of my right ankle if I had a saw I would be willing to cut the damn thing off."

Erik gave a brief chuckle as he sat in front of her criss-cross, he grabbed her right foot and removed her small ballet style flat, "These are completely inappropriate for this job, you know."

Lucy stuck her tongue out at the slayer, "They are comfortable and cute."

"Whatever, still a dumb choice for a mission in the forest." He stated as he inspected the red blistering patch of skin just below the bony part of her inside ankle. It was the softest spot of skin on her foot.

The blonde's eyes widened as the slayer brought her delicate ankle up to his mouth, Lucy felt the light warm wet pressure of his tongue as it touched the angry blistered area. It was small enough that his mouth enveloped the entire area of infection.

Cobra was staring into the sweet celestial mages eyes as he hummed in satisfaction causing her blush to deepen as she watched him soothe her ankle with his mouth.

Noticing the immediate relief his mouth provided left Lucy in awe of his magic. The man could inhale, ingest, and touch anything toxic or poisonous and his body seemed to create the anti-venom instantly.

Curiosity bested the girl, "What does it taste like?" Cobra smirked and broke away from healing her ankle, "Off of you or in general?" Lucy inhaled briefly to respond before realizing what he asked. He answered her question before she could say anything, "It tastes almost citrusy, sweet with a hint of tartness to it."

Lucy let out a small "hmm" as she thought about the taste he described, her mind instantly went to the frozen lemonades that Mira would make in the summer.

"Yea, a lot like that" the slayer responded to her thoughts. "How does your ankle feel?" he asked as he gently set her foot down.

"Much better. It's amazing how versatile your magic is actually."

Cobra raised an eyebrow at the girl. Lucy took that as a sign to elaborate on her thoughts, "Well, you can identify any poison without being affected by it. Simply by ingesting or inhaling it, you can create a cure for its effects. I've seen you use poison as a weapon which means your body can create the toxins you take into your body. The uses for that are so diverse…".

She broke her stream of thought when she noticed Erik's face. It was something akin to wonder. He was trying to process what he was hearing both in her words and in her soul. For whatever reason, her soul began to sing so beautifully when she thought about his magic. That was something that really left him in awe. "Thanks, I guess, no one has really ever told me my magic is amazing. Terrifying maybe, if they didn't say it out loud their thoughts did."

"So, where you want my mouth now?" He asked with a playful grin.

Lucy's smiled sheepishly at the innuendo, "Work your way up I guess".

The Slayer inspected both of her legs and beginning with the left he started licking the patches of irritation that broke out along the front of her smooth legs.

Lucy closed her eyes letting herself get lost in the sensation of his hands on her bare skin, his mouth leaving a warm wet trail of relief. A shiver would go up her spine when the warm breeze would cool off where his mouth had been previously.

Pausing in his actions, Cobra realized that in order to continue, she would have to lay down so he could reach the back of her knees and her stomach more comfortably. "So, you still got that blanket handy?"

Lucy cracked her eyes open being jarred by the sound of his voice, she looked at him, puzzled at his request.

"Easier to lay down to get your stomach and back of your legs. More comfortable for the both of us actually." He stated matter of factly.

Virgo appeared with the full array of items to set up camp. "I believe at this time of day, it would be best for you to set up camp. Just give me a moment and I will have everything ready."

The blonde smiled at her spirit's foresight, "Thank you, Virgo, that is a good idea." she looked to the slayer to see if he was in agreement.

"Whatever. I'll just work on your other leg while pinky sets up camp." he lifted her right leg and began the process again. Lucy falling back into the relaxation of the slayer's hands and mouth soothing the overwhelming itching sensation.

Virgo, who was always two steps ahead of her master decided to set up only one tent. It really only took the Celestial Spirit about five minutes to complete her task. She cleared her throat as she approached the two mages who were in a very compromising position if all parties involved hadn't known better. "The camp has been set up, punishment princess?"

"Thank you, Virgo" was all Lucy had said as she shook her head no. The maiden disappeared in a shower of gold dust before Lucy had noticed that only one tent was set up.

Once she did her mind was gearing up to be upset but was interrupted by the gravelly voice of her partner, "Relax, let's get you fixed up before you get on your high moral horse. After all, doesn't me sliding my tongue all over your body earn a little spooning action?" He winked at her in the strange one-eyed way that he did.

Lucy had a brief thought about being the little spoon and smiled to herself, she wouldn't deny that the prospect of being this close to the slayer was enticing, to say the least. She realized that being in the predicament she was in her sense of propriety was useless and at this point in their travels together it wasn't the worst to share a tent.

Letting her indignation go, she got up and entered the tent. Once she entered she let out a loud huff at what she saw. Instead of a two sleeping bag set up, it was a giant fluffy blanket laid out on the floor of the tent. Cobra entered the tent behind her and grinned to himself, "I like that spirit of hers, obviously she is all getting her master laid." He looked down at the pouting blonde and gave a wide toothy grin, "All the better to spoon with you, my dear."

Sitting on the floor of the tent, she looked up to slayer as he began to kneel down in front of her, "I am not stepping into that one." she replied to the potential red riding hood innuendo.

"What, you don't wanna ask me about my large teeth or long tongue?" he snickered.

She playfully kicked at the slayer, "hell no, I will lose that game of wordplay with you."

"Fine your loss then…" he let the possibilities of what he meant hang in the air but he knew the blonde would not bite despite her curiosity.

"Lay down and I will take care of the patches on your stomach first," Cobra commanded in a gentle but firm voice.

Lucy couldn't help but feel a small wave of arousal travel her body at his words, but she pushed it away not totally clear as to what the intentions of the slayer truly were.

She was hopeful again after hearing he wasn't attached to Kinana the way she thought they were, but at the same time, she couldn't help but feel she didn't stand a chance with the man. As she laid down and closed her eyes she suddenly felt afraid of the situation they were in and began to tense up.

Feeling her tense Cobra told her to relax as he moved to her side. His fingertips grazed the hem of her shirt as he slid the material up to her ribs to make sure it stayed out of the way. He looked over the area and counted 3 areas, one near her belly button, one near her hip at the waistband of her shorts and one near her rib cage on the opposite side, almost like a diagonal line across her abdomen.

"Ready?" he asked as he got into a comfortable position. Lucy simply nodded her head, afraid to use her voice.

The seconds after her response were tense in anticipation of feeling his hands or mouth on her skin. She felt his fingers trail over the patch near her hip and it began to itch immensely, flinching her hand as wanted to move to scratch it.

"Stay still" he firmly stated as she felt the presence and heat of his body as it leaned over hers. His nose grazing just before the bone of her hip as she felt a hand pull at her waistband just a bit to keep out the way. She gasped as his tongue darted out to the center of the red irritated patch of skin. The sensation of itching so bad that it almost burned combined with the tickling of his nose at her hip and the wetness of his tongue was the strangest combination of sensations. She wasn't sure what was most prevalent, relief or arousal.

She relaxed into the feel of the man hovering over her and wondered if he was feeling the same attraction to her as she did to him. Deep down she felt that he did, but her brain wouldn't allow her instinct to prevail.

Despite the feeling of his hand gripping her hip, she tried to convince herself he was not interested in her that way. "He is only doing this to help me feel better, in no way should you take this as a sign of his interest in you Lucy. This is where you always go wrong, you make the mistake of trusting your heart or instincts instead and then it gets you into trouble and gets your heart hurt."

As her internal thoughts went on Cobra's grip increased, his tongue working more lazily over skin trying to break her conflict naturally. Getting impatient, he decided to suck the skin into his mouth grazing his teeth along her skin as he swirled his tongue over the skin in his mouth. Loving the taste of the poison on her skin he growled slightly.

Lucy gasped at the seemingly sudden action of the slayer, her hand immediately shot to card her fingers through his hair, "Erik, what are you…"

He broke his mouth away from her skin to cut off her question but did not raise his head to look at her, "Stop thinking so much Sweetness."

She could hear the smile in his voice as she looked at the man's body above her own at the moment. She had an urge to skim her hand from his hair to his back. She refrained in that moment for fear that the touch would be unwanted.

Erik went ahead and finished up with the first patch he shifted so that his body wasn't over hers anymore and she immediately missed the sensation of it and mentally slapped herself since her urge to touch him must have made him move.

Cobra allowed her to think what she would, he was focused on healing her with a heavy dose of teasing. He watched as the blonde raised her wrists and began to scratch. He was saving those for last since that would require a more intense amount of attention to heal. He got back down to business soothing her remaining areas of irritation on her stomach.

She giggled and pushed at him when he decided to slip his tongue into her belly button, but she kept her hand in his hair as he moved to the spot near her ribs.

She hummed in relief, the itching being soothed by the feel of his mouth on her, she gripped his hair more tightly. Her attempt at shifting herself under his mouth turned into more of sensual writhing that she tried to keep in check.

Little did Lucy know, Erik loved the sensation of her fingers tightening on his maroon locks and this whole process was starting to turn him on.

As he finished up with her abdomen, he firmly told her to turn over and another wave of excitement washed through her as she rolled on to her belly.

She moaned lightly as she felt his tongue tickle the back of her knee, the sensitivity sent her mind wandering. It was a turn on for her to have him licking the back of her knees, something she didn't realize was possible.

She held her breath as she felt his hand glide up the outside of her leg towards the cuff of her shorts. She exhaled breathily as his fingers toyed with dipping just under the cuff while he sucked the skin behind her knees into his mouth to get the remaining poison.

He finished up with her legs but decided to keep his one hand toying just under the leg of her shorts, tickling the backs of her thighs and pulling gently to get her to slide her legs open. His thumb massaged the delicate skin of her inner thigh just at the hem of her shorts. His other hand grasping her opposite hip.

As he breathed in he could smell the heady arousal that began filling the tent. He broke away from her and sat cross-legged. He was almost sporting enough wood to pitch a tent and he would have certainly done so had he not stopped when he did.

Lucy sat up since she knew he was finished with her legs, she got comfortable sitting across from him and they stared at each other for what felt like forever but was only a brief two minutes.

She offered up her wrist to the man and asked him softly, "please". Breaking eye contact he took her hand and examined the wound that was scratched raw with small drops of blood barely drying. It would take one swipe of his lips to cause them to bleed again.

He grunted an acknowledgment and brought her wrist up to his lips. Erik's lips touched the outer edges of the wound with feather light kisses that caused the blonde to smile.

"So sweet" she barely said, more to herself than to him. He raised his eyes to look at her and his tongue darted out to slowly lap at the rawness of her wrist. The sensation was oddly painful and tantalizing at the same time for the blonde.

She watched him as he licked at the wound, the act so intimate that she felt the twinges of arousal deep within' her. She shifted her weight slightly and felt the wetness between her legs as she realized he was watching her watch him and for some reason that turned her on even more.

Cobra broke his gaze and concentrated on working the antivenom into the wound so that it would relieve the intense itching. As he swirled his tongue over the whole of the area he was overwhelmed by the familiar coppery taste in his mouth. He gently sucked and as the taste exploded into his mouth something deep down in his soul clicked. He knew that he wanted her and only her and he wanted her in every way he could.

Lucy's watched the poison slayer's entire being suddenly shifted, something was different suddenly she could feel it in the air around her and she knew he wanted her just as much as she wanted him.

Suddenly she felt a deeper pulling sensation on her wrist and she gasped as he suddenly pulled her arm and guided her into straddling his lap. He switched to her other wrist with a groan and proceeded to lick and suck at that wrist as well. As he did so she laced her free fingers into his hair at the nape of his neck and had the overwhelming urge to grind her hips into the man under her. To feel the hardness of him as he sucked on her skin.

He growled loudly at her actions, wrapping his free hand around her waist pulling her flush to him as she swirled her hips. He trailed his mouth and tongue along her wrist up to the crease of her elbow nipping his way up to her shoulder. He scraped his teeth along her collar bone as he heard her breathing heavily from the sensation. At the juncture of her neck, he bit his teeth down a little harder while sucking at the skin.

She ground herself harder into the man as his tongue left a warm wet trail up her neck and ended with wrapping his lips around her earlobe. He growled against her body and he whispered in her ear, "You taste so fuckin' good," his other hand began to trace up her side sliding under her shirt moving to palm the full weight of her lace clad breast. "You want me to fuck you Sweetness?" his voice was dripping with lust.

Lucy slid her hands down to grasp the bottom of his shirt, she pulled it up over his head and took a moment to admire what hid beneath. She smiled deviously at the man, "Yes, but if I'm on top, wouldn't I be fucking you?" she pushed him down and removed her own shirt and bra in one fell swoop, all the while his hands kneading into her thighs and hips as she rotates her hips on him.

"Fuck me hard Sweetness, I wanna feel how hot and tight you are bouncing on my cock." she lifted herself off of him and they both rushed to remove the remaining clothes. He laid back down in anticipation of her straddling his dick. Instead, she knelt at his feet and began to massage his legs open wider to accommodate her kneeling between his legs.

He propped himself up and watched as the blonde in all her naked glory, raked her eyes along his leg and over his manhood. Lucy felt herself get wetter as she eyed the thick length he was sporting. The moment she saw his cock she knew she wanted to get it wet with her mouth before she fucked him properly. Reading her thoughts he knew what she was planning to do, "Get a taste baby, I like it a little rough Sweetness."

She started at his inner thighs, licking and nipping at the sensitive skin, leaving a trail of wetness all the way up almost reaching where he really wanted her mouth. She pulled back and adjusted herself into a more comfortable position.

She extended her tongue and started massaging his balls in a gentle circular motion followed by a flat swipe of the tongue. She gently held some of the loose skin between her teeth, applying the faintest of pressure.

Cobra groaned at the sensation, never had he had someone pay this kind of attention to this part of his body and he was in heaven. "Fuck baby, that feels so good."

Emboldened by his statement she opened her mouth wide and enveloped one of his balls into her mouth with a gentle sucking motion. Using her tongue to gently roll it around in her mouth. She heard him hiss above her at the pleasure after paying the same attention to the opposite side.

Her tongue glided up his shaft swirling it around until she reached the tip of his cock. She continued to use her tongue to lathe around the underside of the tip before sliding her soft lips around the head of his cock.

Cobra's hand found its way into her golden locks as she took him into her hot little mouth, his fingers splayed around the crown of her hair as he guided her a little further down.

She took him in as much as she could and what didn't fit was firmly gripped by her hand, lightly squeezing base. Her thumb massage the very base of his member.

He began to instruct her by issuing simple commands as she swirled her tongue, "suck baby" he said breathily as he exhaled. She hummed in acknowledgment as she began to gently suck the hard cock in her mouth, his hips surged at the vibration he felt.

"Harder baby, suck it harder." the sound of his voice like silk against her sensitive skin. She did as he requested and she grazed her teeth along his member. This earned another thrust of his hips as he held her head in place. She moaned on his cock again and at that moment he pulled her up.

"I don't want to cum in that dirty sweet little mouth of yours" she landed flush against his body the feeling of skin on skin sent her arousal to a whole new level. He was warm and hard under her and she writhed on top of him bringing her mouth to his neck and biting him gently with her teeth.

He growled and she could feel it in her very core as she straddled over him. He captured her lips in a violent kiss when he felt the wetness of her desire warm on his stomach as she rubbed her lower lips over his hard abs. The friction was a delicious sensation that whipped her up into a near frenzy.

He fisted her hair and held it taught but not painfully, pulling her away from his lips, "Come on sweetness fuck me," He tilted her head so he could pull her earlobe into his mouth grasping it with his teeth and pulling it gently. The sensation overwhelmed Lucy and she nearly came from his action. Just as he released her ear he spoke softly into her ear, "fuck me so hard I will never even think about fucking anyone but you sweetness."

She lifted her lower half and grabbed his cock, she teased the tip around her soaked entrance and then slowly lowered herself onto the Poison Slayer.

She felt the pleasurable sensation of being stretched and filled, and she moaned as her hands splayed across the scarred planes of the slayer's chest. Once she was seated fully she waited a moment curling her fingers into his skin and she began to rock slowly.

Cobra reached up and cupped her breasts as they began to sway as she rocked back and forth on his cock. He pinched her erect nipples as he watched the sex goddess on top of him. He could feel her grip tighten on him everywhere as he played with her nipples.

Lifting himself up enough to lick and pull one into his mouth, her pace sped up as he flicked, gently bit, and sucked on her nipples. Alternating as he saw fit. Every fresh wave of arousal provided a sweet vice-like grip of his cock buried inside her.

"Fuck that feels good." his words causing her to clench her muscles around he throbbing cock. He chuckled, "You really like dirty talk huh?"

She groaned a garbled mess that sounded like 'god yes" but he wasn't sure. "Sweetness, if you don't start bouncing on this dick, I am really gonna find out how much you can take."

Lucy began to quicken her pace, lifting herself up and down on his rock hard member. She was moaning his name as her blonde locks began to cling to her flushed face.

"That's it, harder baby harder" he encouraged her more by grabbing her hips. She leaned back and braced herself, hand on his legs behind her.

Her hips began to speed up and his thrusts began meeting hers. Their breathing started to become erratic they were both on the edge. She began to swirl her hips as she bounced up and down and that did it, they were both driving each other over the edge feeling the quickly building crest of orgasm.

They both came hard and at that moment something snapped into place between them. As they came down from their high, he knew he would follow her anywhere. She would never feel abandoned again.

The blonde collapsed onto the slayer, fully satisfied and kissed him sweetly. He brought his arms around the woman and hugged her to him fully enjoying the soft lips against his own.

Lucy was the first to break away and she sighed contentedly, "that was fun." She chuckled lightly.

He growled and flipped them over, "the fun isn't over yet baby."


	5. Day 4: Sweater

Cobra entered the guild hall only to be assaulted with the usual bullshit as he walked in. Adding soul listening to his litany of slayer senses just added to his daily headaches of life.

He learned so many things that he didn't want to know about everyone. While his nose and hearing clued him into a lot of shit he didn't care to know, adding internal sounds of the souls just put the nail in the coffin.

He glanced at the bar to see if his Kinana was serving today only to be annoyed at seeing Mira there.

Mira was a horny demon bitch that filled her head with thoughts of everyone shagging. She paired up everyone and anyone and got off on that shit.

He always stayed out of her line of sight. Once he made the mistake of engaging Gajeel in a verbal battle and the fucked up scenes that played out in her head made him want to vomit. Obviously, he had an obligation to let Gajeel in on her fantasy and, needless to say, they both steered clear of that woman.

Speaking of Gajeel that man was fifty shades of fucked up also. Hello, the man had the hots for a woman barely bigger than sweet little innocent Wendy and quite frankly he thought that was some perverted shit right there. The man got his jollies on the thought of their size difference between him and his little bookworm alone.

That brings us to the blue beauties. Wendy was the sweetest most innocent person in the guild and if anyone tainted her or looked at her cross, he would poison them instantly. No one fucked with his Wendy Loo Hoo. Not even her little priss of a cat Carla, he wouldn't think twice boxing up the little brat of a cat and leaving her on the back door of the local hibachi restaurant.

Levy, she was another one who did not garner any ire from the Poison Slayer. She had to deal with Gajeel after all, she has enough on her plate. Also, she was one of a handful of guild members that had a fuckin' brain and used it.

Brains bring us to a quarter for the Thunder Legion, actually, let's talk about the Thunder Legion as a whole. Laxus has those three completely pussy whipped. The only one he remotely liked out of that crew was Bickslow because he was funny as shit. Despite outward appearances that man was no idiot and was the least whipped one out of the bunch.

As Cobra found himself setting in the back corner he chuckled to himself as he thought about whips and in walks Fairy Tail's Golden Goddess of Light and Goodness and Princess DuJour of the Celestial Realm.

Lucy was Fairy Tail's resident Celestial mage and purveyor of shit luck. He watched her stride in, head held high. Her shimmering blonde hair was trussed up in some crazy ass knot on her head. Her outfit was tantalizing to the eye with her thigh high black boots and short denim skirt. Her sweater was oddly modest with just a hint of her purple bra peeking through the larger holes in the lavender knit.

Cobra would swear until next Sunday he felt nothing for this woman or anyone else in the guild. He even tried to convince himself but failed miserably. The Poison Slayer harbored a major hard-on for both the blonde bombshell's mind and body.

He just knew he was awkward as fuck and didn't want to catch the attention of the horny demon bitch or any of the blonde's abysmal teammates. How she could ever tolerate their idiocy was beyond him, he knew for a time she had a thing for the pink haired man-child. Those were darker times for him and thankfully he had an extended solo mission that took him away from the guild for a few months.

He admitted to himself that he was happy to see her sitting there despite her idle chit-chat with the barmaid. He tried not to listen in on the conversation but her voice and her soul called to him like an idiot captain in a sea of sirens.

He watched over her in his own silent and almost stalker-like way. He didn't know how to engage in a conversation with her, so he usually didn't. Besides, she was never alone long enough for him to approach without being taunted to fight the numbnuts of a partner she had.

Speaking of Natsu and his blue troublemaker he didn't see her walk in with them as was her usual routine. Maybe the pyro slept in his own bed for once, another thing that he tried to be on his best behavior about. It was none of his business who she shared her bed with but he knew she hated when he snuck in, that much he could tell from her thoughts.

Cobra idly watched the hub-bub of the guild around him and was thinking about leaving after growing bored with the same old shit. As he stood up to make his exit, Natsu burst through the door with Happy in his usual 'look at me' shitass way. So, of course, he watched the small blue ball of fur fly straight toward Lucy, who was sipping her coffee at the bar. Just as he was about to tackle her back she turned to look at the commotion behind her.

Happy plowed right into her stomach and she screeched at a volume that he thought only dogs would be able to hear. "YOU STUPID CAT" was heard throughout the hall as Happy struggled in her grasp.

The Poison Slayer enjoyed the antics and decided to linger a little longer in hopes that he would be entertained, and he wasn't disappointed.

Just as Lucy was about to toss the cat, Happy's claws stuck out and caught a snag in blonde's sweater at the bottom hem. As he flew away the snag turned into a pull and before the blonde or the furball realized it, Happy was flying away and her sweater began to unravel.

Unaware of the unraveling sweater around her hips she turned back to her coffee and went about her business.

Happy, also unaware of his attachment, flew back toward Natsu who was making a beeline for Gray who was seated just to the right of the bar where the tables were.

Cobra watched the events unfold content with his decision to stay and watch the events unravel both figuratively, and literally.

Happy flew loosely around Natsu which also wrapped Natsu loosely in the yarn of the sweater. As the blue cat flew up to the rafters the string pulled taught and tripped up the slayer, also releasing the cat of his string.

The exceed watched with great amusement as he realized what was happening and stayed quietly up in the rafters for the time being.

As Natsu tripped he turned his attention toward Gray thinking it was him that tripped him up and started a fight that began tugging at the yarn fast and furiously.

Lucy sat with her coffee, trying her damnedest to ignore the fight happening just behind her to the right. As she focused on the steaming hot liquid love, she began to feel a bit chilly and when she looked down she happened to notice that half of her sweater was missing.

She sat momentarily in complete disbelief watching as row by row the sweater was disappearing. She looked around to see if anything was amiss that would cause the vanishing act and noticed the string leading to the center of the brawl.

"NATSU" the blonde bellowed as she began to walk into the fray to stop her numb nutted partner from rendering her naked in front of her guildmates. Not that it helped in the past.

Cobra watched with a wide grin at the whole scenario. Yes, he had a thing for the Celestial Maiden but this shit was just too funny not to watch and not put a stop to.

By the time she got Natsu's attention she basically just had her arms covered and the rest of the sweater laid in a string mess throughout the right side of the guild hall.

"NATSU FUCKING DRAGNEEL, what the hell?" she asked the pyro, fury burning in her eyes. The Poison Slayer watched, fully enticed by the anger and contempt the small woman held within' her.

In Natsu's distraction, Gray seized his moment and turned the floor just below Natsu to ice. They Fire Slayer lost his footing and slipped around, in an attempt to regain his balance he grabbed at the blonde's waist and fell, taking her skirt along with it.

The underwear-clad beauty was so angry she made an attempt to kick the man at her feet but in her blind fury, she forgot that the skirt was around her ankles and she too went down hard onto the ground.

The hoots and hollers from the boisterous guild aggravated the poison slayer to no end. Realizing that the blonde wasn't moving and no one was helping her, he abruptly stood and quickly made his way to her. As he walked toward her, he removed his long white coat.

As he knelt down to help her sit up, he draped the coat around her shoulders. He paused a moment as he realized she was laughing and heard what she was thinking.

He immediately and very unabashedly looked at what underwear she was sporting. Seeing the classic red S insignia on her blue undies, he began to laugh rather loudly himself. She looked up at him and laughed even harder as the man stood before her, holding out his hand to her. She grabbed it and he hauled her up.

He admired how sexy she looked in his coat as she closed it tightly around herself. He tightened his grip on her hand and said, "Come on, I'll walk you back to your place".

She smiled and nodded her head and he draped his arm around her shoulder as they walked toward the guild doors. She couldn't help but hum the song she now had stuck in her head from the incident.

She felt a deep rumble from the slayer as he chuckled, "I haven't heard that song in years."


	6. Day 5: Windy

Walking along the path, Lucy could see the cliffs jaggedly looming over the sea in the distance. It set her mind at ease watching the sea churn and crash along the rocks. The storm far out over the turbulent ocean casting a gray ominous feel. The image was one of pure contradiction, so peaceful yet so violent.

This was how she saw everything in life. She was surrounded by an illusion of harmony and happiness when the tumultuous reality of life was just beyond the breakers. Ready to rain down violence and destruction that is par for the course of guild life.

They took their moments of peace very seriously, celebrating just as hard as they fight to keep it. Guilds were a family that protects and helps the people they serve. They were the barrier between the quiet lives the people lived, unaware of the real dangers that threatened their lives.

Sometimes though, it gets to be too much. It is these times that Lucy takes her leave for a week or two to a quaint village just outside of Hargeon.

He was always there, waiting for her on the cliffs. She didn't know why it started but as soon as he was a free man he seemed to pop up here and there in times when she was at her lowest. He wasn't there to taunt her or make things worse, he helped to soothe her mind. She never questioned it and took it for what it was, so many events have happened in her short life that she just learned to accept whatever it was he was offering her.

It started long ago when she lived in Crocus for that brief time while she was guildless. She saw him in a cafe one afternoon and she joined him. It was a familiar face in a crowd, granted the handsome face originally brought her so much sadness. They spoke very little that day, he simply grabbed her hand and squeezed it in acknowledgment of all the thoughts that flitted through her soul. It had shocked her.

She soon learned he was a man who was less about words, which were always refreshingly blunt and smarmy, and more about actions which is something Lucy easily identified with. She knew he was trying to make amends in his own odd way.

She welcomed him with open arms, life was too short to hold grudges, everyone deserves another chance including Cobra the Poison Dragon Slayer. From then on out he appeared randomly in her life, seemingly when she needed peace and understanding.

Shortly after the end of the Alvarez fiasco, she needed a break from everything and everyone. Her heart was tired and she needed time to reconnect with herself. This was when she found the small village on the cliffs near Hargeon. She bought a quaint little cabin for her personal retreat. The first time she was there, she spent a month in the soothing seaside village.

She meditated and reconnected with her spirits. One day as she returned from getting groceries, she saw a note on her kitchen table. The little hand-drawn snake immediately set her mind at ease.

In it, was a clue to a possible lead on Aquarius' key. It was a start in her search and the smile that spread across her lips was genuine. The back of the note had a small drawing of the night sky and her heart just about burst.

That evening just before sunset, she walked to the cliffs and there he stood. His maroon hair tousled in the wind and was highlighted by the evening light. His white coat trailing behind him as he stood there with his hands in his pockets looking out over the sea. When she saw his figure she ran to him, slowing as she approached. He held his hand out to her while still looking out over the ocean and she grabbed it. He squeezed gently and uttered the most gentle words she ever heard from him, "you'll find her, I'll make sure of it."

They said nothing more as they watched the sun slip into the horizon and that night they sat and watched the stars. She fell asleep next to him feeling a sense of peace and hope she hadn't felt since before Tartaros. She was disappointed when she woke up in her bed alone. It was that day she decided to head back to the guild, a new sense of purpose and a refreshed outlook on life.

Every few months she would make it a point to take a few days or a week to get away from it all. Every time Lucy was there, she would find him waiting for her. He would share any new information he found with her. Eventually, he started staying with her at the cabin. At first, it was just a night or two. Eventually, she would come to the cabin to find his stuff mixed in with hers. It became his cabin as much as it was hers over the short three years she has owned the property.

As Lucy approached the house, her heart began to beat faster. The connection they had was undeniable but for whatever reason, they stayed at arm's length. When they were in the cabin they shared the bed but nothing ever transpired.

She always looked forward to the feeling of his arms wrapped tightly around her as they slept. They shared a closeness that always was infused with desire but for whatever reasons he would shut down if it ever looked as though it would escalate. She never asked about it, knowing he could hear the question, she left it up to him to decide when he was ready, if he ever would be.

She entered the cabin and was sad to find that his things weren't there. She had grown so accustomed to the routine she came to expect it. She made herself a cup of tea and grabbed a book that he had brought for her the last time they were there and she began to read. Not long afterward, she fell asleep.

It was evening by the time she awoke. She quickly dressed and ran toward the cliffs hoping to find her Poison Slayer there. She was dismayed to find the area was empty, she stood looking at the storm ahead, it looked as though it were going to make landfall within' an hours time.

The blonde waited, she waited until she felt the first drops of cold rain fall on her face. They mixed with the tears that were forming. She wanted to wait but she knew he wasn't coming that night. She slowly walked home letting the rain soak her to the bone.

Once inside she stripped down, feeling numb from the cold. She kept running through various reasons why he would not show up. He was always there, she never had to tell him, hell, she didn't even have contact information for the man.

She decided to warm herself up with a nice hot soak. All the while she contemplated just what the man meant to her. Why was she so emotional over the fact that he was not there. It was only the first night after all. She began to doubt everything she felt, wondering if she made it all up in her head, this unspoken truth hidden in their strange relationship. That night her head hit her pillow, swirling with what-ifs and doubts.

It was the third evening and Cobra still hadn't shown up. She began to truly worry about his safety by this point. Their routine had been set for 2 years now and this was the first deviation she has encountered since.

She got herself out of bed and went through her usual routine of coffee on the front porch swing of their cabin. She chuckled at the thought that it became his just as much hers, he had shown signs of using it on occasion in her absence. That is how the swing came about, he apparently added it between visits.

Lucy watched the birds in the nearby tree flit from branch to branch singing their perky little tunes. She thought about the times they would share their coffees on the swing and they would play guessing games as to what the birds were talking about. She smiled at all the memories she had in this place.

She wondered what exactly their relationship was. When they were together they fit perfectly with one another. They talked about many things in the privacy of the cabin, fears, dreams, and thoughts of the future. They moved around the cabin together like they had been living together for years. She often speculated if all that talk of soul mates existed in the world.

After about two years into this peculiar situation, Lucy found herself participating in the rare girls night out in Magnolia. Many attractive men tried to talk to her, or offered her a drink; she found herself turning them down consistently. Her thoughts were on the Maroon headed male that had become a part of her life. It was then that she understood that she had very real feelings for the man. The revelation brought no fear or worry to her though, only a sense of contentedness.

As she walked back inside, she set about for the day's tasks. She idly thought to herself if she should prepare dinner for one or two that night. She decided to ignore it and start her day by the ocean. Being near the water always made her feel connected with her lost friend.

A day of meditation and training with her water magic was completely in order. Lucy also thought this would be an excellent way to distract herself from his absence, so she packed up her things and set out for the path to the beach.

She found herself feeling drained but in the pleasant way that someone would feel after a good workout or a day at the beach. She laid out on her towel feeling the late day sun tingle on her skin, knowing that when she got back home a cool shower would be in her future.

After a nice cool down in the hot sun, she collected things and headed back to the cabin, delighting in the sound of the seagulls overhead mixed with the sound of waves lapping at the sand. She entered her bathroom and she could feel a chill just under her reddened skin.

After twisting her wet, darkened blonde locks in a towel and flipping it over onto her head she threw on a comfortable sundress and decided to treat herself to an ice cold water infused with fruit. Her thoughts returning again to the missing slayer.

She decided that if tomorrow came and he was still not there, she would call the guild and see if there has been any news. She settled into her couch with a lightweight throw and a book, it wasn't long before she was asleep.

The sun had already set by the time she realized she was conscious again. She took an extra moment to enjoy the rested feeling before her curiosity got the best of her. She cracked her eyes open to an empty cabin, she tried not to feel the disappointment in her chest as she rose to her feet and grabbed her light sweater as she walked out the door. She hoped that tonight would be the night that she would see him there, waiting for her.

When she got to the cliffs there was no one in sight, this time her loneliness enveloped her and brought on the sadness she had been fighting since she arrived. Tears began to silently fall from her eyes, sliding down her cheek.

It had felt like forever before she turned to leave and that is when her heart stopped in her chest. He stood there by the end of the path, she took in his form and immediately sensed something was wrong. His usual clean white coat was filthy and ripped, his pants tattered and torn, and when she looked at his face she realized he looked pretty beat up.

Lucy ran toward the injured slayer and he limped to meet her halfway, concern was etched on both of their faces. Hers because he looked worse for wear and his because he was reading her soul's doubts she had been harboring for the last few days.

She stopped just shy of him, afraid to wrap her arms around him for fear of injuring him further. He pulled her to him and embraced her as if she were the only person that existed in the world. Lucy's head lay against his chest and she could hear his heart beating in his chest and with every beat all her concerns melted away.

She tightened her hug a little more as an overwhelming feeling of love rolled through her. The slayer only chuckled and responded to the question she had yet to ask, "I'm fine, let's get home so I can clean up." he finished his answer with a kiss to the top of the blonde's head.

While Cobra was showering Lucy went ahead and prepared a light salad for them both to eat and prepared him a glass of iced tea just to his liking; 4 parts sugar, 2 parts pine sol, and 1 part tea. She brought everything to the coffee table so they could enjoy their salads on the couch.

Cobra came out of the bathroom wearing a pair of knit shorts and a loose black t-shirt, he plopped onto the couch with a huff and positioned himself to face Lucy. He smiled at her, a smug look in his eye, "You really thought I wouldn't come?".

Lucy just nodded her head slowly, "I did, I wasn't sure if something happened to you or if…" She paused and grabbed her own iced tea to distract herself.

"If I had finally had enough of you?" the slayer uttered the words she thought. He saw the blonde flinch at the words as she silently agreed.

"You really think I would do something like that?" his voice was flat no emotion.

She raised her eyes to meet Cobra's, "I don't know, maybe? It's not like you are obligated to come here every time I show up."

"You've never been an obligation," he grabbed her hand, "I am here because I want to be, simple as that." She smiled up at him trusting his words without a second thought.

Cobra cleared his throat and looked at the blonde for a moment, searching her face for the courage to continue. He heard a hint of her soul, encouraging him to act. "Look, so, I've been searching, I had a good lead a few months back and I followed it just past Bosco."

Lucy looked at him, cautiously optimistic that he had a good lead on the key. She smiled and her heart swelled at the thought that he was actively looking.

"That is where I got into a scrap with a local dark guild." He smiled sheepishly at the beauty before him.

"They managed to get one up on the great Cobra?" she smirked at him playfully.

As they spoke, he fished around in his pocket grabbing a small box and he pulled it out and left it in his lap, "Those chumps didn't stand a chance, besides they had something very important."

He shifted his weight to get a little more comfortable, "Look, I am sorry I worried you. I wouldn't miss our time together here unless it was important." he sighed and cupped one side of her face with his warm hand. Lucy instinctually leaned into his hand while closing her eyes and hummed in contentment.

"You're beautiful, you know that?" he was amused by the blonde's reaction to his compliment. In all the time they had spent together he had never given her any direct compliments, they always danced around the matter.

Lucy blushed, "Um… Thank you." she smiled at him as the rose dusted her cheeks.

Removing his hand from her fac,e he suddenly goes serious, "Lucy, years ago I swore to myself I would make things right with you. You forgave me so easily but it wasn't enough to just say I was sorry, I needed to prove it to you. You deserve more out of me considering the shitty things I tried to do to you." Lucy went to protest but he stopped her, "Let me finish." she nodded and he continued.

"Over these last few years as we've done whatever this is, at some point, I realized I fell in love with you." Lucy inhaled quickly at the admission but she did not interrupt. "I wasn't ready though, and neither were you. I knew what needed to be done and I swore to myself that until that day came…" he didn't finish his words and he just handed Lucy the box in his lap.

She gasped as she took the box, it was a gift from him and while the box gave no clue as to what was inside she knew no matter what she would cherish it. The words he spoke began to pull tears from her eyes. This was a side of him she got peeks of and yearned to see more of. She just stared at the box as he spoke his next words.

"Until that day came, I wouldn't divide your heart further. I want you to feel whole again."

Lucy looked up at the slayer with a questioning look on her face only to be met with an amethyst eye that held so much emotion she thought he would breakdown at any minute. She looked back down at the box and lifted the cover slowly. She pushed aside the tissue paper and saw a gleam of gold, shining as bright as the sun.

She began to tremble as she picked up the golden key and the shock of what she was holding had her hand covering her mouth, in a vain attempt at holding back a heart-wrenching cry.

She looked at the slayer through her watery eyes and lunged at him, uttering her profuse thanks and peppering his face with wet, tearful kisses. She no longer held her sobs of joy back, she finally had Aquarius back.

She slowed her frantic kisses and kissed the key of her oldest and dearest friend. She looked into Cobra's eyes with so much happiness and love, a smile so wide her cheeks hurt, "Thank you Cobra, you.." instead of using words she moved forward and graced her lips against his in a warm delicate kiss.

Cobra snaked his arms around her waist and hugged her to him, deepening the kiss with the years of unresolved feelings. A few moments later they separated and looked at each other, "Lucy I want to be with you, and I'm not just talking about our little game of house the past three years. I want this to be real, I want you."

Lucy was in disbelief, as she processed what he was saying. Not only did this man return her friend to her, but he also admitted that he loved her and wanted to be with her. "I love you Erik" was her simple response. She sealed her reply by capturing his mouth again, tongues swirling and mixing together.

That night was clear and the stars shone so brightly as they walked down to the beach, hand in hand, Lucy excited and anxious to see her friend again and to introduce her to the man she loved, who made their reunion possible.


	7. Day 6: Grain

Lucy came into consciousness, grogginess had overtaken her brain and it was in a haze she couldn't manage to clear up. She couldn't even feel the rest of her body as her cheek laid flush to a wooden surface, the only thing she knew clearly was that she was lying face down.

She tried to move the limbs she knew she had, but the connection just wasn't there yet. Her body was unresponsive, but she did manage to open her eyes. Nothing quite registered as sensible.

The room was dark and smelled of decay, she was surrounded by people that looked like they would enjoy doing her bodily harm, and maybe they did. For some unknown reason, she couldn't muster enough energy to care.

Lucy thought she was having an audio hallucination as she heard a deep gravely voice begin a song she recognized. She could almost hear the instrumentals as she heard the familiar lyrics, "Tonight, I'm gonna have myself a real good time"

She watched as bodies were flying across the room and landing at unnatural angles, the sounds they made as they landed clearly indicating they were not going to be getting up, ever.

"I feel alive and the world I'll turn it inside out, yeah" sang the voice. Lucy enjoyed the sound as she watched a colorful stream of smoke floating across her vision. As it was inhaled by a man who looked like he killed kittens for fun, the man fell into a heaping convulsing pile, unnatural sounds coming from his body as foam and blood leaked from his orifices.

She saw someone slide to an abrupt stop in her direct line of sight. A fur-lined white coat filled her vision as it trailed to a stop just after the tall figure had. Something seemed familiar about this individual but she couldn't place it in her stupor. All she could see was a messy mop of maroon spikes, a long white coat, maroon pants, and black boots.

"And floating around in ecstasy" she heard the lyrics clearly so she knew it was coming from the vaguely familiar figure. She tried to remember who he was as she watched him, without even turning his head, his arm shot out and grabbed a faceless assailant's hand that came out of nowhere.

The hand held a knife, she watched as the familiar man turned the incoming arm in a way that she heard the crack of the bone shattering. The hand with the knife was inverted at an awkward angle so that the assailant continued moving forward and impaled themselves on their own knife, falling lifeless at the feet of the maroon-haired man.

"So don't stop me now don't stop me"

She heard a chuckle, he was clearly enjoying what he was doing. He turned his head to the side to glance over his shoulder. She saw a singular violet eye look down at her as he sang, "'Cause I'm having a good time, having a good time"

She wanted to smile at the sight of him singing and killing, but could only focus on the feel the grain in the wood underneath her lips. She felt a weighted sensation in her limbs as she attempted to move and she became aware of the cool air on her skin. She realized in a moment of clarity that she was in some kind of a drug-induced stupor.

That sliver of information woke up more of her clouded brain, she watched as the man turned his attention to more individuals running at him, the volume of his voice rising as he continued, "I'm a shooting star, leaping through the sky".

As the group of individuals ran at him, he inhaled deeply and exhaled a plume of purple mist toward the group. They dropped instantly grasping at their throats. She heard the deep voice again, "Like a tiger defying the laws of gravity".

Lucy watched in fascination as the man sang the entirety of the song while he took out all the men that surrounded him. It was like watching a well-choreographed scene in a movie. The mystery man moved perfectly as he avoided bodies, weapons, and magic attacks.

She heard a deep snarl from behind her as she felt a pair of hands trace down her body and over her ass. She realized she was completely naked as she felt the pervert kneading his dirty, grimy hands on her body.

The naked blonde managed to let out an audible whimper which caused the maroon-haired man in the white coat to freeze instantly in place. He turned on his heal and in a blur, he was standing before her wielding a knife. She thought she should be panicking but she knew the knife wasn't for her. He slashed at the person who had been touching her and she felt warm drops touch her skin.

She watched as the violet-eyed man knelt in front of her, his full face now in her view. Drops of fresh blood dotted his face as grinned wickedly. She saw the dimples that accentuated his bloodstained smile. At that moment she couldn't help but think how handsome he was.

The man's smile fell instantly, something akin to confusion graced his features and she immediately missed the dimples. Lucy refocused her attention on his whole face. The one violet eye looking at her intensely. The scar over his other eye looked so familiar, she tried to search her drug-addled brain.

Visions of a mechanical fish came to mind.

"That's it sweet-cheeks, you almost got it," he said to her and as his warm breath fanned over her face, it smelled sickly sweet. A thought of poison popped into her mind.

She watched him poison and kill all those around her and he enjoyed it and it all fell into place. She was staring into the single eye of the Poison Dragon Slayer, Cobra.

"Ding Ding Ding, you win the prize Sunshine," he said as he touched something just out of her range of vision. She felt a biting warmth as something released her hand. She felt it three more times before she realized she was fastened to the wooden table.

Her eyes closed again while she groaned uncomfortably. It felt like she had been on a tilt-a-whirl for hours on end. Lucy now understood how a spinning top feels as it starts to slow down and wobble.

Her body was moved, feeling as if it were as dead and lifeless as the bodies that surrounded her.

She realized she was naked but she just didn't seem to care, let him see her in all her nude glory. She realized she should be embarrassed and offended that Cobra was seeing her sans clothing.

It was this thought that compelled Lucy to try and ask what was wrong with her. But what sounded like a perfectly coherent question in her mind came out as a garbled mess of "sh wha wro"

"They shot you up with all kinds of nasty," Cobra responded, whatever they gave her, even her subconscious was a scattered mess. He had barely discerned what her question was amid her thoughts of nakedness. She let out a small sound of understanding.

Lucy then felt a weighted softness caress her skin as her eyes fluttered open to see the Poison Slayer. He was looking at her with a contorted look on his face that she almost placed as concern. She wondered where his coat went as she noticed he was wearing a black t-shirt.

Lucy shut her eyes again, they felt like they had anchors attached to them as she struggled to keep them open. She wanted to see what the slayer intended to do as he leaned over her feeling the weight of his body was soothing and warm.

"I am taking you out of this hell hole babycakes, so just give in to the feeling relax. Fighting the sleep will only make it worse." his voice was soft, rough and soothing.

She knew deep down he was right but odd questions started whirling through her mind. The blonde suddenly found herself concerned with the weather in Bosco and wondered if spiders name their hundreds of children. Her brain kept turning bizarre thoughts as she began to string a familiar tune in her head.

Cobra lifted the hazy headed woman, he was surprised as she nested into him and let out a small hum of contentment as her soul asked one thing clear as day, "Please, sing to me again."

He couldn't deny the beaten and battered woman in his arms, she needed rest and this may just be the only way to get that fucked up brain of her to take it easy.

Her soul provided him with the song through imagery. He chuckled at her selection, considering the circumstances.

Her soul conjured up imagery from a movie he was all too familiar with, it was one of his top ten favorite films. He was surprised she ever saw it, considering how fair and innocent everyone billed her as.

He softly began to hum the tune, then started with the lyrics, "I'm singin' in the rain"

Halfway through the song she was sound asleep in his arms as he carried her to safety.

To be continued...

**AUTHOR'S NOTE:**

**I am aiming to make this a break out story, it really is sticking with me. I am developing it slowly but I hope to start posting on it soon!**


	8. Day 7: Resonant

**PART 2 **

Black Sun was the name of the dark guild that Cobra was hunting, having a wide network of members scattered throughout Fiori. It should have been a team mission, but he was alone, just the way he liked it.

It was his personal mission to destroy every single member for what they had done. None of his guildmates agreed with the vendetta mission but he didn't give a flying fuck and went out alone.

He had information and his guildmates didn't believe him, so fuck them. He would carry it all out on his own, he didn't need those fucking pansies. He would find Lucy Hearfilia no matter what.

The truth of the matter is that Cobra did care, he couldn't understand how they didn't believe him or how they could ignore the potential for it all to be true. He was angry, and anger was what fueled him, that and at least two pots of coffee a day.

He found that the small town of Blume was the closest town to the suspected main hall for Black Sun. Cobra grabbed a room at the very vacant inn at the center of town. It was there that he dumped off his pack and went on his hunt.

The citizens were more than well aware of the dark guild's nearby presence, but they felt helpless when their stores were vandalized or when they were attacked. Common knowledge was to not go out past dusk.

That is just what Cobra did, he steered clear of the streets and held to the alleyways as he waited for guild lackeys to troll through town. He was not disappointed when he found two such lackeys pilfering a bakery.

Cobra was amused as they stuffed their pockets and faces with pastries and loaves of bread. "_Really? These sad fuckers are absolute carb monsters." _ was his first impression of the buffoons.

He followed them through the woods to the north, after about an hour he heard the distinct resonant sound of the soul he could never ignore or forget. He felt content at hearing it, but the sad lilt threading through it had him concerned.

After about a half a night's walk he found the Black Sun Guild. He advanced around the perimeter of a decrepit looking building and listened in on what souls could be found. He counted a little more than thirty.

He snickered to himself as he remembered being told it was a suicide mission, but the Poison Dragon Slayer was a cocky bastard, and rightly so.

He dispatched of all the members and only walked away with a few bruises, the need for dry-cleaning, and one Lucy Heartfilia of Fairy Tail.

Cobra Ignored the disgusted looks and thoughts that occurred as he carried the beaten blonde through the center of town as the people started the day. What the fuck do they know, they should be thankful that guild was destroyed.

Arriving at his room, he laid the small blonde out on one of the beds and looked her over for any injuries that needed immediate treatment. Sadly, he realized he was much too late to treat most of them.

He applied ointment to her swollen eyes, then cleaned and dressed her open wounds. He then shifted his attention to cleaning her up as best he could.

He saw the dozens of slash marks that littered her back and shoulders, the marks the shackles left. All of it so familiar, he only grew angrier at what Lucy had endured. He gently dressed her in one of his long-sleeved thermal shirts and made sure she was comfortable. He also needed to address the cocktail of drugs coursing through her system.

There was only one effective method of removing the poison. He carefully lifted her arm to look for the injection points. Once they were found he placed his mouth over them and punctured her skin. He proceeded to draw a few droplets of blood into his mouth to identify the poison.

He ignored how blissfully delicious it all was as he proceeded to remove the toxins from her body while simultaneously providing her with the antidote for it. It was an intimate scene if anyone had walked in.

So much so that if anyone did walk in, they would have met their demise. No one saw Cobra in his most natural and vulnerable state, ever. Well, except for Cubellios now known as Kinana.

He was a hard and cold bastard, just the way the tower and Brain made him, and that was the way he liked people seeing him. There were a few exceptions, those who were on the journey with him. They bore witness to his changes as they went through many of their own.

Once he was satisfied the toxins were out of her body, he got her settled and closed the blinds in the room to keep the room dark. He breathed a trace amount of a carefully mixed poison that would allow the blonde to sleep deeply without hurting her. It was the only way she would get the healing, restful sleep she needed.

After everything with Lucy was squared away he decided to clean himself up. He washed away the violence of the day and watched the scalding hot pink water swirl down the drain. This was a double wash job after the night he had.

After his shower, he dressed and laid on his bed, he would never admit it but he also needed rest. He laid there contemplating how to proceed regarding Lucy. On the one hand, her teammates and their guild deserved to know, but on the other hand, they gave up. They gave up after only eight months after her disappearance.

From what he knew, she was taken while on a long-ass mission with her team. The team had come back with a temporary bout of amnesia and couldn't remember what happened, who they were, or who Lucy Heartfilia was. This made it difficult to trace their steps, but efforts were made regardless. Other guilds had even participated in the hunt. However, no leads turned up.

About a month after her disappearance her team started regaining their memories, but none of them were even remotely helpful since they were split up at the time of her disappearance. Team Natsu went on their own search and rescue for Lucy but nothing turned up.

Then one random day about 4 months after her disappearance, Loke suddenly appeared. He was beyond distraught as he only had a moment to let everyone know that his master was on the brink of death. He wasn't even finished saying goodbye before his gate closed.

Everyone mourned, not wanting to accept the truth that Lucy was no longer with them. Some still held out hope that she could be alive, that it was some sort of misunderstanding. However, when Crime Sorciere came bearing Lucy's Celestial keys two months later, they accepted the truth.

In his travels, Cobra had heard Lucy's soul, like he often did when they were in the vicinity of team destruction. He knew she wasn't dead. That was confirmed when he heard chattering from a couple of ass-hats from Black Sun that they captured a new plaything. This was all after her supposed death.

Cobra had let the guild know she was still alive, but they ignored him, believing he was just toying with their emotions. He even provided them with a lead, but they resolutely ignored him. They were so convinced that their light was gone and he was just a flagrant asshole.

In the midst of the chaos that always ensued at Crime Sorciere's arrival, Cobra had managed to confiscate the keys when no one was paying attention. He couldn't believe all this bullshit.

He was angry at everyone around him, for not believing him, for not believing in her, their precious light. As far as he was concerned everyone gave up on her. He would find her and bring her home. He would wipe those smug faces right off their smug-ass mouths.

He left that afternoon, being told that going after Black Sun by himself was a suicide mission and that he should let the dead rest, but he knew otherwise.

He knew exactly what those ass-hats around him were thinking. While one par of them was concerned he knew that deep down in some of their souls, it would be no skin off their nose if they never saw him again.

Despite his shitty attitude somewhere deep down he cared that they didn't give a shit.

Of course, members of Crime Sorciere and the former members of the Oracion Seis would care if he ran into trouble. Even a few members of Fairy Tail would, but the ones that mattered most to Lucy would not be troubled by his demise.

These thoughts are why Cobra is hesitating in contacting the guild. He finally decided that Lucy could make the choice.

He turned and watched as Lucy slept soundly. He contemplated how he had come to this very moment, how the injured woman's soul called to him. It was something he ignored all those years ago during Nirvana.

He debated if she felt it, felt the connection they had despite never really interacting. Whenever he was in her general vicinity the tone of her soul would change slightly, but her active thoughts never acknowledged it.

He wondered what life would be like right now if he never ignored the call.

**AUTHOR'S NOTE:**

**Part 2 of the story that I am developing into a stand-alone. ****I hope to start posting on it soon!**


End file.
